Beyond the Prophecy
by thebartender713
Summary: The fourth and final part in The Mystery Letter series this one directly follows Power of the Prophecy.Oh, I'll tell you a tale of a sainted wizard, of his friends and their adventures in store. And I'll tell you a tale of an evil wizard, of the decimated
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Potter's Army 

Hogwarts, an upscale boarding school residing in Scotland, had closed its doors to students for the summer holidays. The grounds were expansive, containing a lake and forest, several greenhouses, the school itself (which housed a thousand students, nearly thirty staff, and over one hundred maintenance officers), and a sports field equipped with raised spectator stands.

Now, to the naked eye of the average Hogwarts student, the school was like any other of its kind. The lake was filled with all sorts of creatures, including (but not limited to) several breeds of fish and plants, a giant squid, grindylows, and a whole civilization of mer-people. The forest housed a few packs of wolves, herds of deer, centaurs, and thestrals, a number of unicorns, and a family of acromantulas. The greenhouses, of course, held numerous varieties of foliage ranging from your average Scottish wildflowers and mandrakes to the rare venomous tentacula plant and Hawaiian hypnosis handramamine root. The school (a slightly larger than average size castle), had four student dormitories, a staff wing, bunks for the house elf chefs and maintenance officers, seven floors, eighteen secret passageways, two hundred moving staircases, and four secret rooms- one of which had only just been brought into existence that summer and another of which, if you had knowledge of it, was available to the general public and would automatically fit itself to your needs, whether it be to hide something or to arrange itself into a rather spacious broom cupboard for young couples seeking a little privacy from prying eyes of staff and siblings. The sports field was built at the school for the purpose of one sport only- Quidditch. With stands over one hundred feet in the air, seating fifteen hundred, and six golden hoop goalposts, the Hogwarts Quidditch stadium was rather customary as well.

Yes, to the average person of magical upbringing, Hogwarts was the standard school of witchcraft and wizardry. But to someone like Harry… Hogwarts was everything but normal.

You see, although Harry was a student coming upon his final year of schooling in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he was also technically a member of the staff. And though Harry knew all about what happened at the school that everyone else was privy to, Harry alone knew the most about what happened behind the school's closed doors, and, underneath its foundations.

Harry walked past the training room on his way outside to wander around the lake. He smiled as he remembered the how it had been brought into existence. He, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny had created the room in the first two days of the holidays, wanting it to be ready as soon as possible so training could be inside in the case of foul summer storms. After an all nighter in the late Headmaster's library the plans were complete. Surprisingly, it had been Ginny that had come up with the idea of possibly using the Chamber of Secrets as a training room, but the others had quickly shot that down…

"_It's not that it's not a great idea, Gin," Harry had said apologetically, "but with having the password being in parseltongue… I don't think there's any way we could change it and that would mean that I would have to open it every time."_

"_That and it's bloody creepy!" said Ron, hotly. "I don't want to go down there again, it took me days to wash off the slime." _

"_We're definitely going to need a room about that size, though," Harry pondered. _

"_Couldn't we just tunnel one out?" asked Ginny, her eyes wide with possibilities._

_Hermione jumped up and raced off to a bookshelf, grabbing three heavy volumes from near the top._

"_I knew these would come in handy!" she cried, her skin glowing. "They're really for home improvement, like if you want to dig out a cellar or basement and then finish it, but I don't see why we couldn't use them for this!"_

_They spent hours pouring over the books, memorizing and learning several forms of tunneling, digging, cleaning and furnishing charms. It was late, but they were too excited at the prospects of their new training room to sleep. A brief discussion ensued and they decided that the best place for it would be right next to the entrance to the main library, so if they were seen wandering in that area of the school during term people would just think they were going to the library for homework- that, and all the research books they needed would be close at hand. McGonagall had already given her approval and so the construction began. Gathered together in the hallway outside the library on the main floor, Ginny found a seldom-used rather spacious broom cupboard hidden behind a tapestry and they cleared it out before gathering inside to begin their work. After a smartly controlled Reductor curse cast by Harry there was now a fair-sized hole in the ground where nearly half the floor of the broom cupboard had been._

"_If we're going to tunnel underneath the school, how should we make everyone get down?" he puzzled._

"_A slide!" cried Ron. "Just like in the Chamber. It will be splendidly fast and super fun!"_

_A merry laugh filled the now empty broom cupboard as Hermione stepped up to the new entryway Harry had formed and began the tunneling spell. After only a few meters, she stopped and wiped her brow._

"_It's awful!" she panted. "The ground is like solid rock. It's nearly impossible to get through. I don't know how Slytherin did it!"_

"_You know…" Harry said, thoughtfully. "I think I might just have an idea."_

_He ran from the cupboard and was back nearly ten minutes later carrying a small glass sphere._

"_A crystal ball, Harry?" Ginny grinned. "Surely you don't think you can tell the future of how we figure out this mess!"_

_Harry laughed. "Not a crystal ball, Gin- it's Helga Hufflepuff's Power Sphere. I took it from Dumbledore's library."_

"_And you think we can use it as an Amplifier?" Hermione said, grinning. _

"_Yup. I read in Dumbledore's notes that the Sphere can tell how strong a wizard's power is just by them holding it in their hands, and like any elemental crystal it can be used to enhance and amplify spells cast through it. Only thing is it's really hard to use an Amplifier because you have to be able to control what you're doing. Lots of people end up blowing themselves up."_

"_Sounds like a good time to me!" Ginny cried enthusiastically._

"_Ginny, you can't be serious!" cried Ron. "I don't feel like getting blown up today, or any other day for that matter."_

"_That's the thing, though, Ron," Ginny explained. "If you, Hermione and I all try to cast the spell through the Sphere, we should just about match Harry. If Harry's not casting the spell himself, he can concentrate on controlling where our JOINED spell is going."_

"_Couldn't have said it better myself," said Hermione, nodding as she readied her wand for the incantation._

"_Right," agreed Ginny, joining the stance. "Ready, Ron?"_

_Ron backed away, shaking his head. "No way! What if Harry can't control it? I don't want to blow him up any more than I do myself!"_

"_Ron!" Harry said, exasperatedly. "Do you trust me?"_

"_With my life, mate," the redhead answered immediately._

"_There you go, then. And I trust you three the same, so let's do this, all right?"_

_Ron nodded meekly and stepped up to the Sphere his best friend was holding. "Ready when you are, mate."_

"_Excellent!" cried Harry. "On three, then. One, two, three!"_

"_Cavranatico!"_

_Harry concentrated, as he had never done before in his life, aiming his friends' magic where they wanted it to go. They all watched the ground melt away before their eyes, boring deep underneath the school, leaving a smooth, large, empty hole where there was once solid bedrock and dirt. With a swift nod, the spell was ended and the four sat down to catch their breath, Harry cradling the Sphere in his lap._

_A short break later and Harry was on his feet once again, leaning over the hole. "We're going to need another one, you know. One to get down and one to get back up."_

_And the work continued- directly to the left of the already created tunnel another one was formed. Standing by the door of the closet they admired their handiwork._

"_I think the one on the left should be down," said Hermione sagely. "Just like Muggle traffic, you always travel on the left side of the road. So when we go to come back up, we'll know to stay to the left."_

"_That's another question," commented Ron. "How are we going to get back up? I don't really fancy having to climb up three flights of stairs every time."_

"_Dumbledore!" Ginny cried, snapping her fingers. "The stairway to Dumbledore's office- it moves! Just like a Muggle escempator!"_

"_Escalator," Harry and Hermione corrected simultaneously._

"_Yeah, that!" Ginny said, clearly nonplussed. _

"_Even better, though," said Hermione, thoughtfully. "How about a lift?"_

"_Perfect!" agreed Harry. "And no messing with cables and counterweights, because we can run it on magic!"_

_As Ginny and Ron carefully manipulated the rock to form a smooth slide, Harry and Hermione manipulated the other tunnel into a working lift that could hold up to twelve. So as not to cause confusion, they conjured signs and labeled them "Entrance" and "Exit", so as to ensure someone wouldn't try to take the lift down and clog up the line at the bottom._

"_Well, are we ready to try it out?" said Ron, bobbing up and down on his toes by the slide entrance. _

"_I guess so," agreed Harry. "Once we get down we can use the Sphere again to empty out a cavern big enough to train in._

_One after another they whooshed down the slide, leaving a few seconds in between each other so as not to ram the person in front of them once they reached the bottom. A short time later their cavern was created and they stood in the center of the dome, admiring what they had created._

"_Shall we commence decorating tomorrow?" asked Hermione, yawning._

"_Definitely," agreed Ginny. _

_Several floor cushions were conjured and expanded, and several blankets topped it off as the four settled down to sleep inside their new training room._

Yes, Hogwarts, like any other wizard or Muggle school, had closed its doors to students for the summer. But for a select group known as 'Potter's Army' the school was not only open, but holding lessons in full swing. At the current moment, our young Harry was now walking around the lake by himself, deep in his thoughts of what the next day's training would entail. It was Sunday and so the majority of Potter's Army (although on call twenty-four-seven) were relaxing in the shade of the trees on the grounds, swimming in the lake with the giant squid, tossing the quaffle from broomstick to broomstick on the Quidditch pitch, or (in the case of Hermione Granger) researching in the library by an open window. After all, it was summer and despite everything that was going on the army needed to relax, too.

And so Harry walked. He seemed overly serious and quite oblivious to the happy goings-on around him, and to the outside observer he might look rather unsociable and eccentric, what with his pale face, untidy black hair, round glasses and almost completely black attire. In reality, it wasn't so- Harry was the most popular person in Potter's Army, perhaps because it was Harry who had founded it in the first place and blushed rather bashfully when it was insisted by the troops that it be named after him. That, and nearly everyone in Potter's Army wore black- it was much better for camouflage at night, which was when the majority of their drills took place.

'_Let's see…'_ Harry thought to himself, mentally checking his list. _'Number One: The Order of the Phoenix will be arriving tomorrow- I need to triple-check with Dobby that their living quarters in the Hufflepuff dormitory will be ready. _

'_Number Two: We need to run the Battle-Ready drill tonight. Just because it's Sunday and usually our day off doesn't mean Voldemort wouldn't attack on one in the future._

'_Number Three: I have to check with Ron tonight to make sure he is ready to introduce the new Alpha Team movement strategy, and also…_

'_Ah, Number Four: check with Hermione to make sure the new Shield Spell she's been working on is—'_

"AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH! GINNY!" Harry cried, looking down at his now sopping robes and then up at a certain beautiful red head, who was chortling ten feet over his head on her new Lightning Bolt broomstick and carrying an empty bucket (whose contents were now saturating Harry's clothes).

"What was THAT for!" he demanded. "I'm soaked!"

"It's SUNDAY, Potter!" Ginny cried gleefully, her smile never wavering. "You need to relax, too, you know. Come swimming with me?"

"Now that I'm already wet, you mean?" Harry shot back.

"Exactly! Go get your trunks and Ron and I will meet you down by the lake. Make sure you get Hermione away from the library on your way, too."

"All right," Harry agreed, half-heartedly wringing out his robes. "I'll be down in ten minutes."

"Excellent!" Ginny cried, grinning as she sped away. "Bring your broom, too, so we can dry off in a race afterwards!"

Harry nodded towards her back as he made his way, grumbling, back to the castle.

'_Number Five:' _he thought peevishly to himself,_ 'Prank my wife.'_

A wonderful afternoon was spent by the lake and Harry almost (almost) forgot why he was still at Hogwarts. But no matter how wonderful his days were, no matter how hard his wife tried to distract him, Harry never could quite forget that the most powerful and evil wizard alive wanted him dead. The strange thing about it, though, was that as much as Lord Voldemort wanted Harry to be wiped off the official parchment of the wizarding world- Harry was just as keen, if not more so, for the same fate to befall his nemesis. But Ginny was right- today was Sunday, after all, and if there were any day to try and live a normal life- today would be the day. He could go back to worrying about Voldemort tomorrow with a free conscience.

Potter's army had been busy. An entire week had gone by since Ginny had dumped a bucket of water all over Harry and although he was waiting for the opportune moment to get her back, he had more pressing matters to attend to.

'_Besides,'_ he thought mischievously, _'the longer she stews in apprehension, the better it will be!'_

They had their evening meeting in the Great Hall and then everyone (Order and Army alike) retired to their separate barracks for some well-deserved rest. Harry was idly chatting with Luna Lovegood as they stepped through the wall into what was normally the Ravenclaw common room.

"Daddy's had an emergency switch installed at the Quibbler offices so he can turn off the floo in case of attack in the area," she was saying. "If the floo's off, they can seal the building so there's no way in either via fireplace or through the wards, and all the top story scoops will be safe along with the staff. Daddy's very protective of his workers and their stories.

"He seals the building every night now so that reporters from the Daily Prophet can't break in and get the latest news he's worked to hard for, and the Death Eaters won't be able to attack them for printing their identities and photos every week for people to be on the alert and identify them in public."

"Really?" Harry asked interestedly. "An emergency floo shut off?"

"Oh yes," said Luna. "I was thinking we should have one installed in Hogsmeade, so that way if Death Eaters are planning an attack the only way in will be through the security checkpoint and apparition customs station. It would certainly give us more time to respond should there be an attack."

Harry grinned at her. "Luna, you're an absolute treasure! We'll set the plans in motion tomorrow!"

It was already the last week into July and Potter's Army was training in full battle mode- the summer draining away before their eyes. Six people were always on station to view the newly created Marauders' Map that was housed in the training room. Since the arrival of the Order of the Phoenix three weeks previously, Remus Lupin had helped Harry and the Advanced Charms and Defensive Spells Research Committee create a ten by twelve foot map that showed the entire grounds of Hogwarts and a six by eight foot map that portrayed Hogsmeade (the neighboring all-wizard village) and its pathway leading to the castle. Modeled after the original Marauders' Map, which was hard to view for long periods of time since it was so small, the new map was much larger and more detailed than its predecessor. It had been Hermione Granger that came up with the tricky little charm that had been able to separate different types of wizards on the map.

"See, Harry- look, here you are! You're a green dot with a white nimbus, because you're the leader of the army. Ron, Ginny, and I are green with pink halos, so that way you can always find us. The other platoon leaders- see, there's Cho Chang, in the library- they're green with blue outlines. The Grey Knight, well, he's grey, obviously… at least, he will be if he ever comes back. All the residents of Hogsmeade are yellow. Any known Death Eaters will show up as scarlet- Voldemort has a white nimbus, too, well, because he's the leader of that lot, and I was running out of obvious colors by that time."

"This is excellent, Hermione!" Harry praised, and his best friend blushed. "What are these little black dots, though?"

"Oh, those! Those were Remus' idea. Anyone who is unknown as far as being friendly or unfriendly, or even just other wizards visiting the town for the day, will turn black- that way we can watch out for them.

"Bloody brilliant, 'Mione," chimed in Ron, stuffing half a sandwich in his mouth. "But why'd you have to go and make me PINK?"

Hermione blanched. "Well, it's hot pink, so I thought it would stand out easier on the map!"

"But it's a GIRL color!" Ron whined, giving Harry a sidelong wink.

Harry grinned. "Yeah, and pink DOES go awful with your hair, Ron."

"Yeah!" Ron agreed adamantly. "Hot pink and Weasley red do NOT go together!"

"Is that so?" Hermione fumed. "And I suppose you thought Chudley Cannon ORANGE would go better?"

"Yeah!" Ron cried, his eyes lighting up as he completely forgot he was just harassing his girlfriend. "Make me orange instead!"

Hermione sighed and waved her wand at the map. There was a bright flash and then the pink-haloed green dot labeled "Ronald Weasley" disappeared, then reappeared with a pop as a green dot with a garishly bright orange nimbus surrounding it.

"Excellent!" he cried, giving Hermione a peck on the cheek. "Now, I'm famished so I'm heading down to the kitchens. Anyone else coming?"

"I'll go," supplied Neville Longbottom, getting up from his corner of the map as Daphne Greengrass came over to relieve him.

"Bully!" grinned Ron. "I bet Dobby will get us some éclairs if we ask."

They left the training room, chatting away, as Harry turned with Hermione back to the map. She gave him a roguish wink and waved her wand once again over the magical parchment. There was a smaller flash and then underneath Ron's name appeared the words 'King of the Gits'. Harry winked back and he and Hermione headed towards the barracks, laughing.

That night, Harry rolled over and silently observed his sleeping wife. It was time. He had lulled her into a false sense of security, thinking that he had forgotten how she had drenched him in icy-cold lake water more than two weeks ago. She wouldn't know what hit her. Carefully, he crept from the bed and walked towards the window that viewed the lake. Silently, he lifted the catch and swung the glass open wide.

Grinning to himself, he turned and faced the bed. It had been expanded from the standard twin size to king in the beginning of the summer since, as a married couple, Ginny and Harry shared a room together and had it completely to themselves. The new headmistress and their head of house, Minerva McGonagall, had given her express permission that they have their own room together (with a smile and a wink) saying that she was "only doing it since school wasn't technically in session". In reality, they knew she completely sympathized with them for normally having to sleep in separate dormitories during the school term even though they were married- "it just isn't right," Harry had heard her say, "them being newlyweds and having to sleep separate."

But now this luxurious bed was causing him quite an issue. A normal Hogwarts twin four-poster would have fit through the window without a hitch, and Harry knew he couldn't shrink the bed or Ginny might fall out of it, her being so used to having large amounts of space to stretch out. Sighing resolutely, Harry expanded the window. Looking out at it, he thought that after all was said and done, he might just keep it that way- such a large window would give them an awesome view of the sunset over the lake and grounds. Moving back towards the bed, Harry concentrated and carefully levitated the entire four-poster and wandlessly enchanted it to fly smoothly out the window. He had the bed nearly halfway out when Ginny gave a grunt in her sleep.

"'Arry?"

"Yes, love?" he asked, his heart in his throat and beads of sweat dripping down his forehead.

"C'you close window?" she mumbled sleepily. "'S cold."

"Sure, Gin," he said softly, nearly crying with relief. So far, so good.

He grabbed a throw blanket from the trunk at the foot of where their bed normally sat and laid it over the top of her before he sent her the rest of the way out the window. Ever so carefully, he followed behind the bed on his Firebolt as he moved it to its new resting place- about ten feet above the center of the lake. Whispering several securing enchantments and then a warming charm Harry laughed quietly to himself as he flew back to the open window of their room. He stored his broom by the sill and made his way to the couch in common room since his normal bed was now floating over the lake.

'_Who ever thought being banned to the couch could be so much fun?'_ he thought to himself.

Eight a.m. rolled around and several of Potter's Army's early risers made their way into the sunny common room.

"You and the wife get into a snark?" teased Cho Chang as she and Elmer Raymond made their way to an early breakfast with a group of ten or so others.

"Hmm?" Harry asked groggily. "No, we didn't fight. Look out the window."

Intrigued, the group made their way over to the window and quickly doubled over in laughter.

"Is that for when she dumped a bucket of water on you all those weeks ago?" chortled Elmer.

Harry grinned. "You bet."

"Man, Potter! Remind me never to get on your bad side," said Neville, grinning.

Harry laughed. "Cheers, mate!"

Meanwhile, Cho headed up the girls' staircase to wake the others. Soon, the entire army was in the common room staring out at the lake.

"Oh, Harry!" cried Hermione, clearly torn between disapproval and amusement. "She's going to be LIVID!"

"It's worth it!" Harry said shrugging.

"I wonder how long it will take her to wake up?" asked Daphne. "Doesn't she normally like to sleep late if she can?"

"She'll wake up soon," said Ron. "Either the sun or the mermaids will rouse her."

They didn't have long to wait before a terrified scream and a loud 'splash!' could be clearly heard emanating from the grounds.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Warning 

Aurelia Formosus was having a wonderful day. She and her Muggle parents had traveled all the way from Nottingham to London to pick up her new schoolbooks in Diagon Alley for the coming year. Since the year before had been her first at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and she had no prior knowledge that the magical world even existed, a rather stuffy Ministry of Magic intern had escorted her. All in all she was much happier about the task of school shopping this year, and her company was infinitely better.

"Mum!" she pleaded. "Can we PLEASE go to the Ministry of Magic? I really want to show you and dad the Fountain of Magical Brethren. They just put in a new one! And then we can ride the carts at Gringotts- daddy always said you loved roller coasters. And then—"

Aurelia's mother looked to her husband and smiled. Their daughter had always been enthusiastic and throughout her childhood had refused to believe that fairies, giants, trolls and witches were make-believe. As respectable adults, the Formosus' had never openly dreamed that such a place as Hogwarts or a Ministry of Magic existed, so when Aurelia's letter arrived from the magical world they were fit to be tied. Megan Formosus had always loved fantasy stories and, much like her daughter, had dreamed long past a normal age that there really were enchanted potions, magical beasts, and flying broomsticks.

Aurelia's father, ever the practical man, smiled back at his wife and turned to their daughter. "All right, sweetie, we'll go everywhere you want to go today, but let's get all your books and supplies first. That way there's more time to play."

"Yes!" Aurelia cried, jumping up to hug her father. "Daddy, oh, Daddy, please please PLEASE can I get a racing broom? We need them at school- you remember the letter- and the school brooms are just oh, so old and rickety and please Daddy, please, for my birthday next month, can I PLEASE?"

Edward Formosus smiled and winked at his wife. "We'll see, Aurelia. If you're very, very good… we'll see."

Aurelia, in many ways, was much like your average soon-to-be twelve-year-old girl. She had energy that was unmatchable, a keen interest in everything, and she thought she knew all that there was to know. She loved her parents, but honestly, did they have to look in EVERY window? It wasn't like Dragon Liver was so entirely rare (Aurelia had used it in at least a dozen potions last year in Professor Snape's class), and Wizarding Dress Robes weren't so exotic, really (she had seen new designer gowns that were sort of similar inside Harrod's). But she wanted that racing broom oh, so very badly, so she patiently explained everything to her parents as sweetly and as fully as she could.

While her mother and father examined every inch of the bookstore, Aurelia flitted from shelf to shelf gathering the books she would need for her second year of magical study. She waited in line by herself so her parents could look around longer and only called her father over to hand her the bag now full of galleons (instead of British pounds) so she could pay the clerk herself before her father left to join her mother over at the books on house cleaning spells. She went over to her parents to let them know she had everything she needed only to have her mother want to get in line again to buy a fancy set of quills- "But I love writing letters by hand," she insisted, "and this will make it so much more fun!"

Then it was to the Apothecary, where fortunately her parents didn't want to stay long- the smell of undiluted bobotuber pus had convinced her mother to wait outside. After Aurelia refilled her potion kit, she took her parents to the Owl Emporium, where her mother tried to convince her that maybe, instead of a 'dangerous racing broom', what she would really like for her birthday was a nice, cute, kitten-kneazel crossbreed, or an adorable scops owl to send mail home. But Aurelia wasn't to be side tracked.

"Mum, Laura Ashley's cat is going to have kittens and she said I could have one for free, and the school owls are just as good and they can carry packages where scops owls can't. I know how much you loved the Honeyduke's chocolate I had my mentor pick up for you, so you wouldn't want me to not be able to send you it any more, would you?"

Her mother blushed as Aurelia trapped her on her secret vice. "Ah… well, no, I suppose we couldn't have that. What else to you need on your list, dear?"

"I think we're all set," Aurelia said after reviewing her parchment. "I don't need new robes, because I haven't grown—"

"It's doubtful you will, dear," her mother commented. "I stopped growing about your age, too, not that I minded. I always got the best shoes at sales because I had such small feet so there were always some left in my size."

"Mum, are you SURE there's no Elvin or Pixie blood in our history? We are awfully small."

Her mother's face blanched. "I honestly couldn't say, dear. But I would suppose that would explain why you have magical ability."

Aurelia sucked on her quill thoughtfully. "Hmm… maybe I'll research it. I've heard Hermione Granger talk about how Dryads used to cross breed with humans, so it's possible that—" she trailed off as they rounded the corner to Quality Quidditch Supplies. "Oh, Daddy, can we go in? PLEASE?"

It was too late. Without waiting for permission, Aurelia bounded through the door dragging her parents behind her, and ran straight to the new Lightning Bolt display in the center of the store. "Look, Daddy," she breathed. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Um," her father began, not really knowing what to say. Brooms, after all, were used for cleaning where he came from, so he didn't want to say anything offensive. "Tell me about it, dear. Why is this one so much better than that one on the wall- the Blue Bottle, I think it says."

Aurelia turned to her father, her nymph-like face scandalized. "Oh, Daddy, NO! The Blue Bottles are like, the oldest line available. They're good for people like Gramma, who don't like to ride in fast cars. They're marketed to be a FAMILY broom. But the Lightning Bolt—" Aurelia began to explain, at length, all the amazing qualities it and the Firebolt Broom Line Company had to offer.

"Your daughter has very good taste, sir," commented the clerk, a man in his early twenties sporting yellow Wimbourne Wasps robes. "The Lightning Bolt is the best broom out there today. International quality, sir, and marketed by the very best."

"What do you mean?" Edward asked, intrigued. He was in sales himself, so any tips to further his own success were always welcome in his book, whether they be from wizard or Muggle.

"And who's this young man in the poster?" asked Megan, pointing at the wall and holding a set of small, boxed figurines all riding the broom her daughter had been admiring.

The sales wizard smiled. "That's what I mean. The Lightning Bolt has signed a promotion contract with none other than the world famous Harry Potter, the Boy-Who—"

"He doesn't like to be called that," Aurelia interrupted.

"Aurelia," her father warned gently, "it's not polite to interrupt."

She sighed and turned to the sales wizard. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to be rude. It's just that Harry Potter wants to be a normal kid, just like all the other wizards and witches at Hogwarts. He never asked to be famous, and I think he might be upset if he knew that Firebolt was using his name in that contre… conrec… what's the word?"

"Context, dear," her mother supplied, still admiring the figurines in her hand.

The sales wizard smiled even larger. "Smart little witch you've got there, sir. She's right. Harry drew up a contract with Firebolt at lengthy review, or so our shipment witch told us. He agreed only to market the broom if he could have his friends be in all the pictures with him—a bit camera shy, the boy is."

"That's Harry all right," Aurelia agreed.

"So those figurines you've got there, ma'am," he added, pointing to the box Aurelia's mother was holding, "those are all of them. I'd be willing to bet your daughter knows them all by name."

Aurelia's mother looked into the box. "You mean these are modeled after real kids? Not just toys?"

"That's right. Far as I know, they're all still Hogwarts students and Harry's closest friends. See, this one here—"

"That's Ron Weasley!" Aurelia cried, pointing at the miniscule redheaded boy in the box. "He plays keeper for Gryffindor!"

"You _know_ an action figure?" Aurelia's father asked, surprise written clearly over his face.

"Mmm-hmm," Aurelia nodded. "This one here—ooh, she'll be so glad to see that her hair isn't very bushy—that's Hermione Granger, Ron's girlfriend. She's mentor to my friend, Maddelein, the one who came to stay last week. Hermione Granger's got to be the smartest witch in the entire school; she's absolutely BRILLIANT, Mum. Draco turned her into a ferret."

"Your mentor did WHAT!" her mother cried.

Aurelia smiled. "We played chess with real people and she was Ron's Queen and I was Draco's Queen. Well, she put him in check but he countered it and got to hex or enchant her, and I guess it's some private joke because Harry, Ron, and Ginny were all laughing really hard, but her turned her into a ferret."

"But she could be put right, couldn't she?" Aurelia's mother was still having a hard time coming to grips with magical reality and the thought of being turned into an animal made her feel slightly queasy.

"Of course. Draco put her back as soon as the game was over. This one, here," she continued, pointing at the box, "this one is Harry Potter. See the little lightning scar on his forehead? That's why they named the broom the Lightning Bolt, so he could be their ready-made poster boy with his lightning scar."

"Oh!" cried Edward. "Harry POTTER! Now I remember! It's in that history book you brought home for Christmas Holiday last year. His parents were murdered and then Harry got that scar from some spelly-thing. He's going to get rid of the evil wizard Volde—"

"Daddy!" Aurelia hissed, looking fearfully around the shop and then apologetically at the shop clerk, who had nearly dropped the box of action figures he was holding.

"What?" Edward asked, confused.

"Um… wizards are very afraid of that man," Aurelia began delicately. "So they don't like it when you say his name." The shop wizard nodded fervently in agreement. "It's foolishness, really," she added, giving the wizard a meaningful look. "Professor Dumbledore always said that 'fear of a name increases fear of a thing itself', so we always call… him… by name. But when we're in public or around people that don't, or won't, everyone says 'You-Know-Who'. Either that or Lord Mouldy-Shorts," she added cheekily.

The shop wizard's eyes nearly bugged out of his head, but then he laughed. "That's a treasure of a girl you've got there, sir. So tell us about the rest of the action figures," he pressed, working his way around the touchy subject.

"All right," Aurelia agreed readily. "So let's see. You know who Ron, Harry, and Hermione are, so, AH! This one!" She pointed at Ginny. "This one is Ginny Potter."

"Ginny Potter?" her mother asked. "I thought you said Harry was an only child."

"He is," Aurelia agreed. "Ginny is his wife."

"Huh?" he parents asked stupidly.

"It's very romantic, really" Aurelia answered dreamily as the young shopkeeper blushed in an embarrassed agreement. "Harry is planning on taking down Mouldy-Shorts, and he loves Ginny, ever since the first day he met her on the way to Hogwarts his first year. She was there to say goodbye to Ron, that's her older brother, she's a year behind them."

"Ah," nodded Edward. "Thus the red hair on both of them."

"Right! Ginny has six older brothers, actually. Two of them are twins, Fred and George, they own a joke shop here in the alley, but I've never met them personally.

"Any way, Harry knew he wanted to marry Ginny so he proposed last year because he's got all this pressure and he was forced to grow up, so he treated their relationship the way an adult wizard would. Well, Ginny's very smart, and she's also a Weasley—"

"What's that supposed to mean?" her mother asked, admiring the beautiful redheaded figurine.

"Think of Aunt Wendy," Aurelia offered.

"Ah. I understand. Does anything to get what she wants, right?"

Aurelia nodded firmly. "Right- and a temper to boot. She would have to to put up with six older brothers plus Harry. So any way, at Christmas Ginny and Hermione looked up a wizard marriage spell and Ginny and Harry got married. Ginny knew that she might not have very long to be with Harry, because of the stupid git that's trying to ruin all their lives, so she and Harry got married to maximize their time together."

"Wow," Edward breathed. "Wizards grow up fast, don't they?"

Aurelia smiled and hugged her father. "I'll always love you, Daddy."

"I know, princess."

"Right. So Harry and Ginny got married, and now Ginny Weasley is Ginny Potter. I turned her into a ballerina."

"I take it this is another excerpt from that chess match you were talking about?"

"Yup. I always thought she looked like a ballerina because she was small and she moves like a dancer. The pink tutu went really bad with her red hair, though." She and her mother laughed. "Well, Ron got mad at me after that so he captured me and turned me into a pixie."

"A pixie?" her father snorted.

"Yeah!" Aurelia grinned. "I don't think he realized it at the time, because he's a Pure-Blood wizard, but he made me look just like Tinkerbell."

"Really?" her mother grinned. "I always loved that story."

"What's 'Tinkerbell'?" the shop wizard asked confusedly.

"A Muggle pixie in a fairy tale story," Megan explained quickly. "She had a temper, let me tell you."

The wizard nodded. "That's a pixie all right. Never want to get on the wrong side of them. They're quite vicious."

Megan laughed. "Well, now we know who all the people in the box are, what about the broom?"

"Ah, well that's where my part comes in," the wizard grinned. "So Harry agreed to market the Lightning Bolt only if all his friends could be in the ads with him and the portion of every broom sale that should have gone to him would be donated to St. Mungo's."

"That's the wizard hospital," Aurelia explained at the confused expressions on her parents' faces. "They take care of wizards who got on the wrong side of a spell that went bad."

"So he refused monetary compensation for marketing their brooms?" Aurelia's father asked the shop wizard, clearly unable to believe the implications.

"Right in a knut, sir," the shopkeeper nodded. "Firebolt DID send him and each of his friends a brand new broom, though, as way of persuasion, plus a signing bonus that was already in the contract that Harry couldn't find his way out of. I'm told his wife threatened to make him sleep on the couch if they were forced to give the brooms back because he refused the contract."

"Ah," grinned Edward slyly, "an incentive married men know all too well."

"Surely a broom didn't mean that much to her?" Megan asked, glaring at her husband. Her comment was returned by looks of shock from her daughter and the sales wizard. "What?"

"It's really common knowledge in our world," the man explained. "The Weasleys were always a very poor family, and everything they got was second or third hand. Ginny Potter has been playing Quidditch since before she could walk and the thought of a new broom was probably more than she could handle. She would be distraught to have to give it up after it having just been given to her."

"Like how you wanted a pony, darling," Edward teased.

"Shut it, dear," Megan replied, her voice dripping with venomous honey.

"Can I have one, Daddy?" Aurelia pressed, feeling her grip on her parents was fading. "Some of the proceeds go to charity, Mum!"

"That and," the shopkeeper added, somewhat reluctantly, "any Hogwarts student that buys one gets a special discount, by order of Harry. The new safety measures at Hogwarts made Firebolt's broom sales skyrocket and Harry wanted to make sure that everyone could afford the best broom possible, seeing as their safety depended on it."

"Buy it, Edward," Megan said immediately.

"Yes, buy it, Edward," the shop wizard agreed, grinning at the thought of the sale.

"Well…" he began hesitantly.

"Oh, Daddy, PLEASE?" Aurelia begged. "It's Harry's BIRTHDAY today, Daddy. July thirty-first. It's the best present anyone could give him- donating money to charity."

"I don't know, Aurelia. I'm not sure if you could handle a—what was it?—'international standard racing broom'."

"Daddy!" Aurelia cried, insulted- but she had seen her outlet. "I'll let YOU ride it, Daddy. And you can be with me while I learn. You can teach me and make sure I'm being safe."

"Well, in that case…" Edward began thoughtfully, but Aurelia could see the boyish glint behind his eyes, telling her she had already won. "I suppose I can get it for you," he finished.

Aurelia winked at the shop wizard, who grinned back at her as she jumped into her father's arms. "THANK YOU, DADDY!" she cried, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I think we'll take the action figures, too," her mother added. "They're really cute and if the proceeds go to charity, like the sign says, then it's worth it."

The sales wizard grinned. "That's right, ma'am. One hundred percent of the action figure profits go to orphanages for wizarding children. Harry was an orphan himself, so I think he wanted to do something for others like him."

Aurelia didn't bother telling him that Harry had grown up with his horrid Aunt and Uncle and would have probably much rather had been raised in a wizarding orphanage. She also pretended not to hear her father when he asked her mother what the conversion rate was from galleons to pounds. She had her broom and that was what mattered.

As they walked down the street towards the Ministry of Magic, Aurelia was positively beaming at the thought of trying her new broom as soon as she and her father could find a secluded enough place outside prying Muggle eyes. Her mum had tried to convince her that she shouldn't be allowed to ride it until the day of her actual birthday, seeing as it was a present for turning twelve, but Aurelia didn't even have to argue- her dad did it for her. She took her parents to the Welcome Witch at the desk in the Ministry's Atrium and asked if there was a tour that afternoon. She signed them up and joined the queue of other visitors in the waiting room. Many were other Hogwarts students with Muggle parents, but several were wizarding tourists from other countries. When the tour began, Aurelia noticed the stuffy young wizard giving it was the same that had taken her around Diagon Alley the year before to buy her school items. She laughed softly to herself as she noticed he seemed even less pleased to be giving a tour around the Ministry than he did helping her shop.

They walked all around the ministry, stopping through the Atrium once again (Aurelia's mother sighed at the beauty of the newly constructed fountain—there were no adoring goblins in this version). Last they moved through the Department of Magical Games and Sports before they stopped in a small lounge for pumpkin juice and other wizarding snacks. Edward seemed especially fond of the Fizzing Whizbees while Megan sucked happily on a Sugar Quill. Aurelia helped herself to a chocolate frog, stuffing a few in her robe pockets for when she arrived home. As she reached into the bowl of sugar mice, her hand brushed against the tour guide's. She yelped, and jerked her hand away as it burned red hot.

"Something the matter?" he asked, looking at her oddly.

"One bit me!" she lied, massaging her hand.

"Don't be silly!" the wizard admonished pompously. "They're just sugar candies."

Aurelia promptly excused herself and walked sedately towards her parents, praying the odd guide wouldn't notice. "Mum," she whimpered. "I think I ate too much candy. Can we leave?"

"Are you sure, honey? Don't you have another place you want to see in the alley?"

"Yes, mum, I'm sure," Aurelia said frantically. "I really want to leave NOW."

Her parents said goodbye to the other Muggle couple they had been walking with on the tour and prepared to leave.

"Leaving so soon?" asked the guide, pushing up his horn-rimmed glasses.

"My daughter has a tummy ache," Megan explained.

"Too many sugar mice," Aurelia added weakly.

"Well, the tour ends in the Atrium and you can floo home from there if you'd like," he offered, once again adjusting his glasses.

"Oh, thank you. That would be wonderful," agreed Edward. "Lead on, my good man."

The wizard winced slightly as he rubbed his left forearm and that sold it for Aurelia. She needed to get her parents OUT of the Ministry of Magic, and fast. She shuffled her feet so they fell to the back of the group, keeping a lookout for deserted rooms with fireplaces. She didn't find one. The tour group was a little more than twenty paces ahead and they were coming to the Atrium, so she slowed her walk even more.

"Aurelia, honey," her mother chided, "please walk without dragging your feet. It's much more ladylike."

"Yes, Mum," she mumbled, looking about frantically. There! Just off the side hallway before the Atruim- overflow floo fireplaces. "Mum, Dad, let's use these. That way we don't have to wait in line."

She grabbed the single pot of floo powder off the deserted desk pulled them forcefully down the hallway and to the fireplace furthest away from the Atrium.

"Aurelia! What has gotten into you?" her mother asked. "Please don't pull on me!"

"Mum," Aurelia pleaded as they approached the fireplace. "Listen to me. We need to get out of here. Something is going to happen."

"What are you talking about, Aurelia?" her father asked nervously.

"I bumped into the guide. When I touched him, I Saw something. Do you remember when I told you about Voldemort's helpers?"

"Yes, why?"

"They're coming here! Now get into the fireplace, Mum, and say very loudly and clearly, 'The Three Broomsticks, Hogsmeade'. You have to be VERY clear when—"

She was cut off by the sound of screaming coming from the Atrium.

"Mum! NOW!"

Aurelia grabbed the floo pot from the mantle and threw in a handful. Megan looked fearfully behind her, but Edward pushed her towards the fireplace as Aurelia drew her wand into the battle stance Draco had painstakingly taught her. The screaming was getting louder.

"The—the—" Megan stuttered as she clutched the days shopping in her shaking hands.

"MUM!"

"THE THREE BROOMSTICKS, HOGSMEADE!" Megan cried, and she disappeared in a rush of green flame.

"Dad, you next—STUPEFY!"

The Death Eater arced almost gracefully backward before he hit the floor with a heavy thud.

"Daddy- GO!" Aurelia cried. He hopped into the fireplace and disappeared not even a second later, praying his baby girl would be right behind him. Aurelia reached once again into the floo pot before shoving the small piece of pottery inside her robes. She stepped into the flames just as another one of Voldemort's Death Eaters rounded the corner.

Stepping out into the pub she had heard every older Hufflepuff talk about last year she barely glimpsed her parents being helped onto their feet by a friendly wizard before she ran to the maid tending the bar.

"You need to turn off your floo!" she cried.

"Honey, if you want a Butterbeer, you're going to have to wait just one moment, all right?" the women replied kindly.

Aurelia ducked under the bar and approached the maid. She was so small that her head wasn't even visible over the top.

"Please, ma'am, I just came from the Ministry of Magic!" She whispered so as not to ensue a panic. "The Death Eaters are attacking! We only just got away and I don't want them following us here!"

The barmaid instantly dropped the tankard she had been filling and rushed into the back room without another word. The fire in the grate immediately went out, as did every other floo access in Hogsmeade.

"This had better not be a joke, dearie," the maid said nervously, wringing her hands.

Aurelia shook her head. "We'll know in a minute if someone's been able to get word out from the Ministry. In the meantime, I need to get to Hogwarts and warn Harry!"

"Honey, the school is deserted. It's summer holiday."

"Not entirely. Harry's Army is still there. Take care of my parents, will you?" she begged.

"Of course, dear," the maid replied, her face full of confusion. She turned to the wireless behind the bar and cranked it to full volume on the Wizarding Wireless Network as the crowded bar listened in apprehensive silence. Aurelia had barely made it back to where her father was trying to comfort her mother when she heard the radio belt out its warning—

"**The Ministry is being held hostage! He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his followers have taken—"**

"That's where we just were!" Megan cried, clinging to her husband.

"It's all right, love," he said soothingly, but his voice was shaking. "Aurelia got us out. We're all right."

"Daddy," Aurelia said softly, so her mother wouldn't hear. "I need to go to Hogwarts. I need to warn Harry and the Grey Knight."

"How will you get there, Aurelia? I don't have my car!"

"Dad! Don't be silly," she admonished. "I'm taking my broom."

She ripped the package open and quickly mounted her precious new birthday gift. The wizard in the front of the pub threw the door open as she bolted through it, praying that the new Lightning Bolt was as fast as it was supposed to be, if not faster. She streaked through the air, wind whipping across her face as she pressed herself tightly to the broom handle, no time to admire the Lightning Bolts flawless acceleration.

"Harry," Hermione called from where she was viewing the newly created Marauders' Map. "Someone's approaching the gates from Hogsmeade. I've never seen anyone move that fast!"

Neville stepped over from where he was coaching dueling. "It's Aurelia!" he cried. "We need to get to the gates!"

Harry didn't question him, but grabbed his cloak and ran, the others following closely behind. The question of how Aurelia had been coming so fast from Hogsmeade was quickly answered- she dismounted unsteadily and Harry saw a brand new Lightning Bolt clenched in her tiny fist. Muttering spells as fast as he could Harry unlocked and opened the gates so she could enter.

"Aurelia!" Ginny cried, running to the girl and grabbing her before she could fall. "What's the matter?"

"Voldemort!" the small blonde girl panted. "His Death Eaters have taken the Ministry hostage! My parents and I only JUST got away!"

"How did you—" Harry began, but stopped mid phrase.

"You Saw it, didn't you?" asked Luna softly, her eyes wide.

Aurelia nodded.

"Are you and your parents all right?" Ginny asked.

"We're fine. I Saw the Death Eaters coming and so I took them down a side hallway to the overflow floos. My Mum got out and then right before my Dad could get in the fireplace one came around the corner, so I Stunned him."

"You STUNNED a Death Eater?" Hermione asked, beaming.

Aurelia nodded, smiling. "Yeah! I guess I did!"

"Great job, Aurelia!" Hermione praised lavishly.

"What happened next?" Harry pressed.

"My Dad flooed to the Three Broomsticks behind my Mum and I only just got away as another Death Eater came around the corner. I took the floo pot with me though, so he couldn't trace our fireplace."

"Nice thinking," Ron grinned.

"Then we got to the Three Broomsticks and I had the barmaid turn off the floo network. It was a good idea to have that emergency shut off valve installed, Luna, that way they can't come here next."

"I thought so," Luna said serenely.

"Then I grabbed my broom and flew here. I left my parents at the Three Broomsticks. My poor Mum is probably having a fit."

"All right, then," Harry said. "We need to send word to Hogsmeade to have everyone evacuated to Hogwarts. Aurelia can do that and she can do it quickly. Hermione, Luna, and Neville- you stay here at the gates so you can let the town in. They know that once the floo network has been turned off they need to get ready to leave. They shouldn't take long."

"But what about the Grey Knight?" Ron asked. "We need him if the Death Eaters are still attacking! He'll want to know about this, if he doesn't already."

"Right," Harry agreed. He let out a short whistle and Sanguine appeared immediately at his side.

"Hey girl," he said softly as Hermione wrote out a quick note on a piece of parchment Luna had found in her pocket. "Take this to the Grey Knight, all right? Make sure no one else sees you."

With a soft trill Sanguine disappeared in a flash of light. Harry made his way back to the castle, his brain in overdrive, and Sanguine appeared with the Knight's reply just as he reentered the training room.

"What'd he say?" asked Ron, craning his neck over Harry's shoulder.

Harry smile grimly in reply as he wandlessly burned the note in the palm of his hand.

"He says he's already on it. He'll meet us at the gates with any information he's got in an hour."

"Anything else?" Ron asked- he knew Harry was leaving something out.

Harry swallowed. "Later, Ron."

"What are we going to do after all the townspeople get here, Harry?" Ginny asked.

"We'll hide them inside and get an inside report from the Grey Knight. After that—we ride."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Prepare for Battle 

As the citizens and tourists of Hogsmeade gathered in the Hufflepuff dormitories, Sanguine flashed in front of Harry with another note- this one was briefer and more urgent- from Remus Lupin and the Order of the Phoenix.

_Harry,_

_London under attack. Order w/ Muggle VIPs. LV still MIA. Send back up._

_Remus_

_P.S. Good luck._

Without a second's hesitation, Harry ran to Albus' library and grabbed _Debello_ from its resting place near the ceiling. If Voldemort wasn't attacking the Muggle Prime Minister or the Queen, and the Order still didn't know about the Ministry, there was only one other place he could be- with the other Death Eaters that were attacking the Ministry of Magic. Harry thanked the Gods for Aurelia- without her, they might have not found out in time. The attack on Muggle London was obviously a ruse. Opening to the page his fingers knew by heart he began the incantations.

'_Coagmentatio Hermione Jane Granger ago agere egi actum ab iuxta solem cadentem mit Altruis Lieben, adiunctor Harry James Potter._

'_Coagmentatio Ginevra Molly Potter ago agere egi actum ab iuxta solem cadentem mit Altruis Lieben, adiunctor Harry James Potter._

'_Coagmentatio Ronald Bilius Weasley ago agere egi actum ab iuxta solem cadentem mit Altruis Lieben, adiunctor Harry James Potter._

'_Quadrifariam sharon coagmentatio adstringo, Altruis Lieben Conquerden.'_

The deed was done. Levitating himself back up to the ceiling so he could put _Debello_ in its resting place, Harry sighed. Tonight was the night. In a matter of hours, it would all be over. As Harry returned to the floor, he thought about what he must do in order to rid the world of the tyrant known as Lord Voldemort once and for all. He pondered the charm he had just placed not only on himself, but on his wife and two best friends. They didn't know what it was, but Harry thought about how that once the time came, the enchantment would take over as if they had known all along.

And most of all, Harry thought about what could happen if anything went wrong.

'_No_,_'_ he whispered harshly to himself. '_Nothing will go wrong. I've suffered- we've all suffered- too much for anything to go wrong now. Tonight. It's over.'_

Harry took one last look at the library he had come to think of as his own. One last look at the Pensieve he had brought up with him from the training room. Here was his last chance to make sure every memory was in place for Hermione- just in case. He stepped over to the desk where he had placed it and carefully deposited the memory of what he had just done. His eyes remarkably dry, Harry left the library for the last time- and didn't look back.

He entered the training room to find his army assembled and waiting. Hermione was nervously tugging on her hair- straightened by Ginny that morning- as she mumbled incantations over and over again. Ron was pacing the floor with Neville as they re-hashed the battle tactics and formations. Seamus was tightening Dean's old West Ham bandanna securely around his forehead- he never went anywhere without it these days. Luna was meditating in the corner, her eyes softly closed and her fingers gently placed in the xi position, chanting softly. The rest of the crowd blurred before Harry's eyes as he spotted Ginny- his beautiful Ginny- carefully manipulating the miniature figurines of what were the troops around a small table in the center of the room as she sucked on a sugar quill.

"Are all troops ready to depart?" Harry asked Hermione quietly. She nodded in response.

"Are you going to say anything, Harry?"

"What could I honestly tell them that they don't already know?

Hermione shrugged. "Nothing, I guess. Just that they're fighting this war not just for the world in general, but for themselves."

"That's true, love," said Ron, giving her shoulders a squeeze.

"But we already know," said Neville.

"Right." Harry nodded and then turned to the room at large, "Shall we go and kick some Death Eater arse, then?"

A collective cheer rose up through the crowd.

"For Dean!" yelled Seamus.

"For my parents!" cried Neville.

"For Cedric!" piped in Cho.

Every soldier in Harry's army had a reason; a person, to fight for and they shouted them off, one by one. The adrenaline rushed through the crowd as they took the lift from the training room up to the Entrance Hall and made their way to the grounds.

"Where IS he?" fretted Hermione, stamping her foot in impatience. "He should have been here by now to let us know what's going on."

"He's not coming, is he, Harry?" asked Ginny quietly.

"Who?"

"The Grey Knight."

"Oh." Harry checked his watch. "He should have been here ten minutes ago."

"I'm not sure we can wait much longer," said Luna calmly as she patted her thestral. "Who knows what could happen the longer we delay."

"What did he say, Harry? In that note?" asked Ron.

Harry sighed. "He said that if he wasn't here we were to expect the worst. We weren't to wait for him."

"No!" gasped Hermione. "You can't possibly—"

"Luna's right, Hermione," Ginny interjected evenly as she mounted her own thestral. "We can't afford to wait any longer- we have no idea what could be happening to the people that are being held hostage."

Hermione sighed. "You're right, I know you're right. But—"

"It doesn't make it any easier, 'Mione," said Harry, hugging her. "But it's one more person to fight for."

The remaining troops mounted the thestrals as one, each following behind their platoon leader. Harry rode center with Ginny at his side, Ron to his right and Hermione to his left. Branching off on either side were Luna, Neville, Cho and Daphne.

"You know," said Ron, smiling sadly. "It's a lot easier now that I can actually see what I'm sitting on."

Harry couldn't help but give a small smile back. "Yeah. I wonder when they've had such a large population of students at Hogwarts that could see thestrals. After all- nearly the entire student body had been outside when Dumbledore was killed."

Ron nodded. "He was mad, old Dumbledore was, but he was bloody brilliant."

"Still your hero after all these years, huh, Ron?" asked Ginny, smiling at her brother.

"You bet, Gin!" he replied.

In Neville's formation of Healers, he turned to Susan Bones, who was flying at his side.

"Susan?"

"Yeah, Nev?"

"You know you're like my second in command, right?"

Susan beamed. "Thank you, Neville, I—"

"That's why I wanted you on my team- instead of having your own, I mean… Look, Susan, if anything should happen…"

"Don't worry," Susan said, reaching over and giving his hand a squeeze. "Nothing will, and if it were—I'll take care of everyone."

"Thanks, Susan. I… You… You're the best."

Susan smiled. "I love you, too, Neville."

Neville blushed. "I do love you, Susan."

"I know."

"Not much longer," said Harry softly. "I can see London from here."

The thestrals landed in the same alley that Harry had used the last time he had visited the Ministry of Magic in a comparable situation. He figured it was the least likely entrance to have Death Eater guards, since it was in a Muggle area and they probably wouldn't even know about its existence.

"Where did Aurelia say they were?" he asked Hermione in a hushed whisper as he cast an Engorgement Charm on the telephone box so everyone could fit at once.

"The Atrium," she whispered back.

"They won't be there," said Luna. "They'll go to the Death Chamber."

"How do you know?" Ron demanded shakily, his nervousness getting the better of him.

Luna shrugged. "I just know."

"I think she's right," said Neville. "That's where it went down last time, it would only make sense to lure Harry there again. Voldemort probably wants Harry to be caught off his guard because it's the same room where… well, you know."

"Even still," interjected Ginny briskly, "we need to split up the healing squads to check around the Atrium and other areas to heal anyone they can. They can probably tell us information, too, as to where the Death Eaters were headed."

"Right," Harry agreed immediately. "Neville, you and Luna take your squads and split up. Heal anyone you can find. The rest of us will make our way down to the Department of Mysteries in squads after we search the rest of the building."

"Knowing Lucius Malfoy," spat Hermione, "he's got all the Ministry staff locked in that Death Chamber and is sending them through the veil one by one, like a pirate making his mutinous crew walk the plank."

"What's a pirate?" asked Ginny and Ron simultaneously.

Hermione glanced to Harry and they rolled their eyes.

"Never mind. Let's just go down there, get rid of Mouldy-Shorts, and go home for late night tea."

"Sounds brilliant to me," beamed Ginny as they piled into the phone booth with the last of the group. "Everyone ready?"

"Ready!" cried the Army.

"Daphne, you're closest- pick up the receiver and dial 62442."

Daphne did as directed and soon the cool, female voice filled the expanded phone box.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."

Daphne grinned. "Potter's Army, forty-eight in total, here to present Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters with an arse-kicking they're not likely to forget in a hurry.

"Thank you," replied the voice. "Visitors, please take the provided badges and attach them to the fronts of your robes."

There was a loud clinking noise as forty-eight badges spewed out of the change compartment and Daphne caught them in the pouch she had made out of the front of her robes. She picked one up and laughed.

"Look- they say 'Potter's Army: Arse-Kicking Presentation' on them!"

There was a chorus of chuckles around the box as the badges were passed out.

"Visitors to the Ministry," continued the cool voice, "you are required to submit to a search and present your wands for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium."

Ron snorted. "Fat chance on that one."

The box gave a shutter as it began to descend.

"Wands at the ready, everyone," prompted Harry. "Down in front, so we can get a double line of defense."

"The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day!" said the voice, and the doors opened to a deserted, but decimated hallway.

"Yikes," breathed Cho. "Looks like they've already been here and gone."

Harry nodded. "You know what to do. Neville, Luna- you and the healer squads meet us in the Department of Mysteries as soon as you can. Let's move out!"

The eight groups split off, three in each healer squad, seven in each battle brigade. Harry and Hermione split off to cover all the areas surrounding the Atrium, where Aurelia had last reported the Death Eaters to be, while Ginny and Cho took the odd numbered floors, leaving Ron and Daphne to cover the even.

It was quiet- too quiet. Harry's group had moved alongside Hermione's through all the side hallways and overflow floo network fireplaces, the public statement amphitheatre and all four ground level lavatories without a trace of a single Death Eater. Granted- there had been traces of Death Eater handiwork in every room, but none of the masked figures or hostages could be found. Moving into the hallway just before the Atrium, Harry found what he was looking for and signaled to Hermione's group on the other side of the archway.

"Twenty," he whispered. "One on each floo. On my signal, ready your marks—"

Harry gave the signal and the fourteen members of Potter's Army launched into battle, stunning seven of the twenty Death Eaters in the first attack thanks to their advantage of surprise.

"Harry!" shouted Seamus, "behind you!"

Harry dropped to the floor as an ominous violet light shot over his head. Rolling over, he hit the opposition with Hermione's newly researched 'Mega-Stunner' and smiled- that was one more that wouldn't be waking up any time soon.

"Extractica!" he cried, aiming at another Death Eater that had Lauren Waters pinned against the wall. The masked man's hands immediately removed themselves from underneath her lower robes and clutched his backside as he fell to the ground, spilling blood from the vicious cut Harry had just slashed across his spine.

Lauren kicked the Death Eater in the groin before she held her wand against his throat.

"Don't EVER touch me again, you fucker, or next time I'll use my wand and a severing charm!" she spat, giving him another good kick before she stunned him.

"Are you all right?" asked Darren Patterson, as he stunned another Death Eater behind her.

"I'll be fine as soon as this piece of shit is rotting in Azkaban."

Hermione was screaming, and Harry began to race towards her as Darren and Lauren covered his back. He managed ten steps before he was hit.

"Crucio!" cried a deep voice, and Harry's world was filled with pain.

White-hot wires were digging into his skin and his scar burned hotter than ever before. His hair felt as if it were being ripped from his scalp, his limbs being pulled as if he was about to be quartered. Fighting with all his strength, his pushed himself off the floor and focused all of his pain into a single spell.

"REDUCTO!" he screamed, his eyes screwed shut with pain.

The Death Eater flew back into the wall, knocking one of his fellows to the ground in his path before he crashed with a sickening 'crack' into the wall fifteen feet behind him. He went limp as he slumped to the floor.

Hermione was still screaming. Three Death Eaters had backed her into a corner; two were holding her steady as the other hexed her. Pulling himself completely off the floor, Harry ran to her as fast as he could, across the room and through at least four more Death Eaters in the process before he finally reached her.

"Vexatio!" the Death Eater sang, his voice dripping with sadistic pleasure as his two partners felt up Hermione's convulsing body.

"Twitch for me, pretty pet. Percutio! Your eyes look so sweet when they're all rolled back inside your head. Stringor! You could come home with Daddy, you know- I would hurt you so beautifully. Vexatio! Yes, you like to be shocked, don't yo—"

"You sick BASTARD!" Harry screamed, and all thoughts of magic were forgotten. Clenching his fist he slammed it into the side of the man's face, breaking his jaw and immediately bruising his own knuckles.

The two lackeys in the corner were still too busy playing with Hermione to notice their leader had been laid out. Seamus and Avery came to Hermione's rescue while Harry gained enough composure to stun the leader.

Hex after hex after jinx flew around the room until finally every Death Eater was stunned, knocked unconscious, or both.

"Everyone all right?" Harry asked, breathlessly.

"We'll be fine," said Parvati, wiping the blood off her face. "I think we should meet up with the healing squad before we do anything else, though. Neville and Luna will make sure we're able to make it through the rest of the night."

Seamus was ripping off the bottom hem of his robe and binding it tightly around Evelyn's bleeding temple.

"You'll be all right, Eve," he whispered lovingly. "I won't let anything happen to my girl."

"You better not, Finnegan." She smiled weakly to encourage him. "I've got plans for you, yet."

"Hermy?" Harry asked quietly, while everyone was checking on each other. "Are you all right?"

"Spiffing, Harry."

"Hermione—"

"No, Harry, SPIFFING. Really. If that guy really wanted to piss me off and make me more venomous, a few rounds with a lightning shock hex was sure a good way to do it."

"You're sure?" he asked, eyeing the blood around her neck- it could have come from anywhere, but Harry hoped against hope it hadn't been from her ears.

"Positive. I still want my late night tea and I'm not leaving here until every last Death-Shitter is lying on the floor."

"That's my Hermy," he grinned.

"What about YOU, Harry?" asked Padma, binding up her ankle with another strip of cloth from Seamus' robes. "Are you all right? I saw that Cruciatus hit you."

"Like Hermione said," Harry answered cryptically, "if a guy really wanted to piss me off and make me fight better, a few rounds with the Cruciatus would do it."

Harry's wand vibrated in his hand, and he soon heard the whispered voice of Ginny, reported to be on the third floor in front of the Minister's office.

"We caught them by surprise, Harry," she reported enthusiastically. "Two guards outside the door, they were snapping wands. We hit them with the Mega-Stunners. All the Ministry employees are inside Fudge's office, a little hex-marked and worse for the wear, but on the whole, safe as can be."

"Good. What are you going to do with them?"

"We're leaving them here," came Cho Chang's voice. "Some of the wands hadn't been snapped yet, so those to whom they belong are keeping guard at the door in case Voldemort sends more guards to make rounds."

"Hermione was right," came Ginny's voice again. "They were going to take them one by one down to the Department of Mysteries for execution. Just like a ply-mat!"

"It's PIRATE," Harry and Hermione said exasperatedly.

"Right! That's what I said- prymat."

Harry couldn't help but smile. "Excellent. Meet us downstairs as soon as you can."

"Roger that," answered Cho. "I'm going to call Neville and have him come up here to see if he can give them any pain potions—"

"Is that Fudge I hear, whimpering like that?" Hermione scoffed, hearing the loud voice of the Minister of Magic in the background.

"That's it! I'm retiring! I can't take it any more! Look at my elbow- it's awful! They're going to have to amputate!"

"Yeah, that would be him, the girly git," Ginny's voice sneered through the wand communicator. "Minister, it's only a scratch. Susan can heal it in a trice."

"It is not! I'm DYING!"

"You'll be FINE!" she snapped. "We'll see you in a bit, Harry." And then they were gone.

Harry switched the communicator to Daphne Greengrass. "How's it going, Daph?"

"Not bad, not bad!" came the reply. Harry could tell she was grinning. "We bagged nine altogether so far, each patrolling a corridor by themselves- the nitwits. You'd think they'd know better than to patrol alone."

"Are you all right?"

"Umm…"

"Daphne—" Harry warned.

"A few stings and some burns, but we're fine."

"Are you telling me everything or are you downplaying your injuries again?"

"Downplaying, of course," Daphne answered. "But seriously, Harry, we'll be all right. It's the shit-heads-of-darkness I'd be worried about if I were you."

"Where'd you put them?"

"A lavatory. Each one Mega-Stunned and locked in their own cubicle with their heads shoved in a toilet."

"A toilet?" choked Hermione. "You seriously shoved their heads in toilets?"

"Well, one of them has their head in a rubbish bin- we ran fresh out of toilets."

"WHAT!"

"Oh, come on, Granger!" cried Daphne, laughing with her platoon. "It's no less than they deserve."

"No, no-" Hermione said, regaining her composure. "You misunderstood me. I was going to ask if you first made sure that the bin was full."

Daphne laughed. "But of course. Yesterday's leftover lunches by the looks of it. Did you think any less of me?"

"Well done, Daph!" Harry cried, beaming. "Meet us in the Department of Mysteries as soon as you finish up!"

"We're going to go help Ron- he just found a nest in a room. It's time to bust up their exploding snap party. Ciao!"

"You know, Harry," Hermione smiled, shaking her head. "I disagree with Daphne on a lot of accounts- her being Slytherin an all, it's bound to happen- but you cannot deny she's got style."

"Right in one, 'Mione. All right then, guys," continued Harry, "let's make our way down to the Department of Mysteries. Hermione- your group can take the lift. Mine will take the stairs. We'll meet you on the bottom level and finish the stairs together."

The stairwell was empty and Harry met up with Hermione, Luna, and Ron's groups on the bottom floor.

"Anything?" Hermione asked Ron nervously, looking over his tattered robes and the angry welt on his cheek.

"Nothing we couldn't handle," said the boy. "After we left those gits in the toilet we found another group holed up in my dad's office. We pounced them pretty good, but they still got in a few hits. After that we went all the way to the top floor and didn't find anyone."

"Where's Daphne?" Harry asked nervously.

Ron grinned as he wiped the sweat out of his eyes. "She's 'cleaning up', as she put it."

"Meaning?"

"She's doing a bit of a makeover on the last gits we found. She'll meet us downstairs."

"Ginny found the Ministry employees," Harry said, changing the subject abruptly as he led them carefully down the hall. "She's bringing Cho here."

"We found a few injured people," said Luna with her normal dreamy expression as she, Sunny, and Star distributed burn ointments and pain potions amongst the troops. "We left them with Neville so we could meet up with you here. They weren't too badly hurt."

Neville showed up a moment later with Susan and Le'baan, and they circled the group healing and splinting sprains and breaks as best they could.

"Right. Everyone ready? Ok, behind this door is a black room with blue lights and it has about a dozen other doors in it. We're going to open each door one by one and if the coast is clear, come back out and mark them so Ginny and Cho know its safe."

Everyone nodded and entered the room, wands at the ready. They threw open the doors one at a time, marking each one in turn until only two were left by the time Ginny and Cho's platoon's showed up, looking the least battle-worn of all. But they all knew that was about the change.

"What have we got, love?" Ginny asked.

Harry sighed. "The Death Chamber and the Hall of Prophecy are the only ones left."

"Thank Merlin they weren't in that Brain Room," said Ron, visibly relaxing.

Ginny nodded. "Well, that's fitting. Shall we wait, then, until Daphne's group get here?"

"No need to wait," came Daphne's voice. "We're here, and our captives are all looking fabulous thanks to 'Daphne's Institution of Death Eater Cosmetology'."

"Excellent," said Harry. "All right, everyone ready?"

He placed himself in front of the door so he would take the initial hit once Hermione opened it. It ended up being the Hall of Prophecy, and just like the ten rooms before it, it was deserted. But in this room, instead of being untouched, every shelf had been smashed, every orb destroyed.

"Looks like he came back to see if there was another record," Luna commented.

"He'll find out what it said after all," Harry vowed. "Tonight. I'm ending this- right now."

He marched to the final door and threw it open. The assault was instantaneous.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Fifth Altercation- No Greater Love 

Harry Potter thought he would never have to set foot (in person) in this room again. Revisiting in his dreams was bad enough, and yet, here he was once more. But this time, it would be the last. This time, he was not alone.

Behind him, his army: wands drawn, jaws clenched and eyes wide and alert with trepidation- this was the moment they had all been waiting for.

To his right, Ronald Weasley: best mate, brave, noble, and loyal through and through- the encouragement when all was thought to be lost.

To his left, Hermione Granger: smartest witch of the age, derived from Muggles and destined for greatness- the brain behind the battle.

And at his side, Ginevra Weasley Potter: strong as she was small, survivor of the Dark Lord's minion, and poised to perfection- the love to bind it all.

"So, Potter," sneered Lucius Malfoy, tossing back his hood to reveal his face that was now deeply scarred from the last battle at Hogwarts and his encounter with the Grey Knight. "You came here to die, just like your ignorant Godfather?"

"No," Harry stated, more calmly then he felt. "I came here to end this, once and for all. Where's Tom? Or is he too afraid to face me?"

"HA!" cackled Bellatrix Lestrange, "So the wee baby Potter thinks that he can defeat the Dark Lord? Think again, baby Hawwy, there's no Dumbledore to save you this time!"

"What makes you think he needs Dumbledore?" solicited Neville, stepping out from the crowd to stare Bellatrix in the face.

Bellatrix's eyebrows raised, "Ooh look, little Longbottom has come back to be finished off. It's about time I got the chance to finish what I started- CRUCIO!"

"_Protegeumenta_!" cried Neville, before she had the chance to bat an eye. "You and me, Bella. Here. Now. This is over."

The battle ensued before many of the Death Eaters knew what hit them. After extensive training the past two years, the DA had caught up to the level that most Aurors were at when it came to dueling. It was more than the Light battling the Dark- every person in Harry's army had a personal grievance against Lord Voldemort and his followers. Some, like Neville, had more than others but for many it was as if it was an individual fight.

Harry and Ginny moved toward the left of the chamber, followed by half of the army, while Ron and Hermione headed right. Curses flew in every direction and more than once did Harry, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Luna, and Neville have to revive some of their classmates from stunners. The more advanced members of the D.A. fired Hermione's newly researched Stunning spell at the Death Eaters, who in turned were stumped when they could not revive their comrades with the usual _'Ennervate'_. Dodging curse after curse, Harry made his way to the top of the chamber so he could have the height advantage and fire Mega Stunners on unsuspecting Death Eaters down below. Blocking the majority of hexes, but still hit by several, Harry was bleeding from his head and he could feel it trickling down his cheeks and neck. He had several bruises already forming on his arms, face, and legs, but he could see that by far he was not the worst.

Glancing down, he saw Neville and Bellatrix sending curses flying faster than any other dueling pair in the room. Harry stayed away from that match up- he knew it was Neville's fight and would not take that away from him. Neville deserved his revenge more than any other in the room- Harry felt himself included. Cho Chang was dueling with Peter Pettigrew, the man responsible for murdering Cedric Diggory. Harry could see that she was crying, but this time it wasn't tears of pain or confusion- it was tears of fury. Harry knew Peter didn't stand a chance, and he even had another Death Eater trying to help him in his fight against Cho.

Harry sent curse after hex after curse down into the chamber, knocking down more Death Eaters than any other, while still deflecting those jinxes that were sent at him.

"_Avada Ked_—"

Harry rounded, but he wasn't quick enough. Lucius Malfoy had began to speak the killing curse, only to be cut off mid hex by another hooded figure that had appeared rapidly behind Harry in the doorway.

"_Crucio_!"

Harry's eyes widened at the twitching form of Lucius Malfoy. He had never known anyone to be able to hold Lord Voldemort's right hand man under an unforgivable and yet there he was, writhing and screaming on the floor. The senior Malfoy's mystery attacker was relentless, as though his very life depended upon Lucius's demise. All at once, the curse was lifted and Lucius retched on the floor.

"_Expelliarmus_!" cried Harry and the hooded figure as one. The Death Eater's wand soared between them and they caught it together. Their hands touched, and it was then Harry understood. Gazing upward underneath the hood- Harry saw his eyes. Eyes that were filled with pain, hurt, abuse, and longing, eyes that would no longer stand what had been forced upon them. Harry nodded and handed over the wand to the hooded man. Backing away, he concentrated on the others that had rushed to Lucius's aid, stunning them all.

"_Extractica_! _Relashio! Cuttera! Abrasiadius!" _cried the hooded figure, ripping open Lucius's robes and slashing open his flesh with each hex. Two more cutting hexes ensued and Lucius lay vomiting up blood onto the floor.

Slowly, deliberately, the hooded man approached the silvery haired death eater who was gasping for his breath on the stone floor. The room seemed to pause in anticipation. Harry's army stared, unknowing who could be hiding in the shadows and had come to help them- every member of the P.A had already been accounted for. The remaining Death Eaters held their breath at who could have been so powerful as to inflict so much damage on one of their number- especially on the Dark Lord's right hand man.

The soldiers on Harry's side had seen this cloak before, but had thought they would never see it again.

"Ginny," whispered Hermione. "Look! It's the Grey Knight!"

"Bloody hell! I can't believe he's here!"

Ron breathed a sigh of relief- if the Grey Knight was here; he knew nothing would happen to Hermione. Not after the Wizard's Oath he had forced the knight to make at the Battle of Hogwarts. The Death Chamber seemed to chill as the Grey Knight spoke aloud to the pitiful form of Lucius Malfoy, Lord Voldemort's right hand man, as he lay spitting up blood and writhing on the steps.

"By the blood so infused in my veins, I rightfully take the life of the one that made me." His voice echoed through the strangely silent chamber, chilling the hearts of all that heard its cry.

"With the power of the hate you brainwashed me to believe, I turn it upon its source. Through the engraving slashes I have made on your chest, know with whom my allegiance lies."

With a wave of his wand, the hooded figure ripped away Lucius's robes and shirt. There, carved on his chest for all to see were six crudely hashed marks. Cut to the bone, they were spilling blood rapidly, but in the unmistakable form of two letters:

HP

Reaching up, the man removed his hood to reveal his face before he voiced his final curse. Silver blonde hair shook down from its confinement and was shaken back to reveal the flushed face and fierce gray eyes of none other than Draco Malfoy. Hermione and Ginny gasped, unable to believe that the one wizard they had hated more than any other (excluding Voldemort) had turned completely around and sided with the light. With a voice that did not waver and eyes that held no trace of tears, the heir of Malfoy spoke his final words to his father.

"**My hate dies with you**. _Eviscero Capitalis_!"

Lucius Malfoy's head was separated from his body in one, swift movement. Unabashedly, Draco stepped forward to where it was rolling on the floor and picked it up. The room stood still as he descended the stairs toward the dais and mounted it. Facing the remaining Death Eaters, he raised his father's severed head and displayed it for all to see.

"May your children find the light and may your fate be bestowed upon you as my father's was- so very richly deserved."

Draco turned and threw the head through the veil where it disappeared and the curtain fluttered back to a standstill. Draco stepped down and walked back to the top of the chamber to where Harry Potter stood. He knelt and whispered,

"Forgive me, all these years, I didn't know what I was doing."

Harry nodded and replied softly, "I know. There is nothing to forgive. Join us. Help us end this for good."

Grabbing Draco's hand and lifting him to his feet, the two nodded and turned to face the crowd. The dueling resumed, but not for long. An icy wind broke through the chamber and the Death Eaters genuflected to their Master, who had Apparated onto the dais in the center of the Death Chamber.

"So you've finally decided to grace us with your presence, then, Tom?" spat Harry, even more icily then the wind that had nearly knocked them flat.

"You dare to speak to the Dark Lord in such a manner!" cried a Death Eater whose mask had not yet been removed.

"I dare to speak to MURDERING FLITH in such a manner," replied Harry mercilessly.

Voldemort laughed, a high-pitched, cold, cruel laugh that made even his Death Eaters' hair stand on end.

"You've come here to die, Potter. Just like your father. Just like your Godfather. They were FOOLS."

"You know NOTHING about my father! Or Sirius!" cried Harry, wiping the blood from his eyes.

"You cannot defeat me, Harry. With your precious Mudblood-loving Dumbledore dead, you are hopeless. You don't stand a chance against me."

"I 'stood a chance' before I could **_stand_**, Mouldy-Shorts," Harry retorted.

His insult had its desired effect- Voldemort was fuming.

"You DARE—"

"Oh yes!" cried Harry, advancing towards him down the stairs. "I dare."

"You dare to approach me without your wand raised, Potter? Have you no intelligence?"

"I have more than intelligence. I have what I need- and unfortunately for you, you will never know what it is. I approach you to end this. Once and for all."

The room was wrought with silence, as if no one dared to attack until Lord Voldemort had made the first move. The surviving few Death Eaters remained in their genuflects on the floor.

"You _honestly_ think you have the power to kill **me**, Potter? You have the _audacity_ to approach me without Dumbledore to protect you?" he snorted.

"_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…" _murmured Harry in a low, cryptic voice.

Ron stepped beside him, limping on his broken ankle, his chin dripping blood onto the floor, _"Born to those who have thrice defied him,"_

Neville followed suit, half of his face covered in scorching hex marks, _"born as the seventh month dies…"_

Hermione joined in, her once beautiful, shiny, tamed hair now burned, frizzed and standing on end from the electric shocks she had been submitted to through a curse, her hands covered in her own blood from her nose, _"And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal,"_

"_But he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…" _cried Ginny, shoving away the Death Eater that had been pinning her against the wall to join those that were advancing towards the dais. She didn't see his mask rip along the seam as he caught on the wall before hitting the floor.

"P-pow-power?" stuttered Voldemort, to no one in particular. Then with false confidence, "What power could he _possibly_ have that I don't?"

"_and either must die at the hands of the other," _chimed Luna, her voice harsh, not at all like its usual dreamy self. There were hex marks across her face and creamy white throat; the white of her right eye was red from exploded blood vessels.

"_for neither can live while the other survives…" _stated Harry, firmly, still advancing towards the dais, but this time he wasn't alone- his army was behind him.

"_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies," _they stated as one, as their descent to the dais was completed.

"There it is, Tom. What you've been waiting for. All this time," whispered Harry softly. "The Prophecy that you've been trying to get your hands on for the past three years. Was it worth it, Tom?"

Voldemort was practically shaking with uncharacteristic rage.

"No!" he cried, "I won't have it!"

He raised his wand and pointed it at Harry.

"_Ultimatus Avadus Kedavrus!" _he screamed.

Time seemed to stop entirely as the curse shot forward like a bolt of black lightning. Before Harry had a chance to raise his wand, duck, or dive out of the way, he heard someone shout—

"NO!"

Someone dove in front of him and the curse dropped them to the ground with a sickening thud. Cho Chang shrieked through her bloody nose and the rest stood silent, unable to believe what they had just witnessed.

A rushing sound of wind blasted through the room and then a voice- a voice more powerful than Phoenix song- rang out.

"_There can be no greater love, than to lay down one's life for a friend."_

So fell the bravest Gryffindor. A fate meant for the Boy-Who-Lived was willingly born by his best friend.

Hermione dropped to the floor, sobbing, cradling Ron's limp form in her arms. The rest of the room stood still, save for one. Neville Longbottom raced forward and leaped onto the dais with a single bound.

"You BASTARD!" he screamed.

And then Neville did something that was very brave, very stupid, and very brilliant at the same time. With all his strength, he pushed the Dark Lord and watched as he stumbled. The jaw of every living Death Eater in the room dropped as their Master fell through the veil.

"_STUPEFY_!" cried the Death Eater that had been pinning Ginny against the wall. Neville fell flat to the floor, stunned.

Harry's army turned as one to see the Death Eater that had been targeting Ginny the entire time. His mask was completely torn along the edge and he dashed it to the floor in one sweep.

"Percy!" Ginny gasped. "Percy how COULD you?"

"I warned you, Potter," Percy said, completely ignoring his sister. "I knew this would happen. You being with Ginny has only put her in danger. Mingling with the likes of Dumbledore and his stupid Order. I wanted to protect her. You siding her with Dumbledore was a death warrant. By my joining with the Dark Lord, he offered her protection. My life for hers. If I stood at his side, he guaranteed me no harm would come to Ginevra.

"I thought Ron would be able to fend for himself, but it seems I was wrong! Now my brother is dead and all because of you! And now with the Dark Lord's protection gone, thanks to that stupid little friend of yours, Ginevra may never be safe! I'll kill you for what you've done to my family, Potter."

Unfortunately for Percy, he didn't have the chance. Ginny hit him square in the jaw with her firm little fist and then turned her wand on him. Tears streamed down her face, as she looked her brother in the eyes.

"Ron was right about you, Percy. You really are the world's biggest fucking git."

As if they had been stung by a blast-ended skrewt, the remaining members of Harry's army stunned and bound the Death Eaters with anti-disapparation jinxes. Ginny collapsed to the floor with Hermione, cradling the limp form of her brother in her arms with a dazed look on her face. Harry limped to the dais and pulled himself onto the platform, he could still hear Voldemort fighting and screaming hexes from behind the veil. Scratched, bruised, torn and bleeding, Harry turned to his faithful army. Ginny looked up from her brother, as Harry stopped at the archway.

"Harry!" she cried. "What are you doing? It's over."

Harry simply smiled faintly and shook his head. Hermione's gaze snapped up and she looked into his eyes.

"You understand, right, 'Mione?" he whispered.

The smartest witch paused and then she nodded. She reluctantly let go of Ron and rose to her feet.

"Harry? Harry, what are you doing?" screamed Ginny. "Harry, don't move, or you'll go right through! Harry, STOP!"

Ginny made to run after him, but Hermione held her back.

"Hermione, stop! Let go! Harry, come back! Get down!"

Harry sadly shook his head. "Hermione, you know what to do, right?"

Hermione nodded weakly.

"Tell them, Hermy, tell them my story. The world deserves to know the truth."

"I will, Harry," she promised, as the tears ran down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Gin," Harry choked. "It's the only way. …Ginny, I love you."

Without another word, the Boy-Who-Lived stepped through the veil.

"HARRY!" screamed Ginny, still attempting to break free from her best friend's grasp. "Harry, no!"

With the last swish of his tattered and bloodstained cloak, Harry James Potter disappeared from the Wizarding World- never to be seen again.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Final Altercation- Debello 

Emerging through onto the other side, Harry Potter stood with confidence. He alone knew how the veil worked- he had begun to understand through his dreams.

A figure approached him, and raising his gaze, Harry looked, once more, onto the face of his Godfather, Sirius Black.

"You know what to do, right Harry?"

The boy simply nodded, gazing at all the members of the Deceascengamot that had their wands on Voldemort, suspending him in midair. Turning to his left, he saw another figure approach him- this one in robes that were finer than Harry had ever seen. Although translucent, Harry knew that they were made of gold, and he knew that the wearer deserved nothing less.

"Hey, mate," came the voice of Ron Weasley. "It took you long enough. I thought you'd never get here."

Harry shook his head, "It's only been about ten minutes, Ron."

Ron shrugged. "Ah, well, that's what happens I guess. There's no time here, so it feels like it's been ages."

"Harry," whispered Lily. "Oh, my Harry! I thought I'd never see you again."

"We can't hold him much longer, Harry," Dumbledore explained, his wand vibrating madly. "Soon Voldemort will be unbound and you have to be ready. There's only so much we can do, as he wasn't really fully alive, we couldn't set the Heliopaths upon him. Once we have to let go of him, Harry, Lord Voldemort could escape back into the living world. "

Harry nodded. "I know, Albus. You ready, Ron?"

Ron nodded, filled with determination. "Born—and died—ready."

Together, they turned and put their wands away. Lifting their hands, they began to rise slightly from the stone floor of the room that housed the High Court of Wizards in the Beyond. The entire Deceasengamot waited, their ghostly forms shivering with anticipation of what was to come…

…

"Ginny- Ginny STOP!" pleaded Hermione, clinging to the redhead's arm as though the fate of the world depended on it-, which it did. The remaining members of Potter's Army stood still, staring in horror where Harry had disappeared.

"Ginny, don't you understand, this is how it's meant to be! Harry's Prophecy- this is what it means."

"W- what are you talking about, Hermione?" Ginny stammered.

Hermione paused, staring her friend in the eyes. "_Two in the now, two in the beyond. This is how it shall be for the world to go on. Bound by a force that no one can break, finding a way for His life to take—_Don't you see, Ginny? This is how it's **meant to end**. Harry had to go- _he went_ to the beyond. Ron will be there on the other side to make it even. Harry sacrificed himself so that way we could vanquish Voldemort once and for all."

"Wh-what?"

"His prophecy! _"Separate the signs to win the war, now are divided but together by far—" _he HAD to go, Gin. The only way to win was to break us all apart, because even though we're not _together _together, we'll always be, because—Great Merlin, how did he know? We were all bound so intricately, how could he have POSSIBLY known?"

"I… I don't understand," Ginny stammered. "I don't know what we're supposed to do!"

But Ginny didn't have to know- the laws of the magical realm answered for her. She and Hermione rose form the floor of their own accord, pulsing with a pure, white light. The veil on the dais began to flutter from a non-existent wind, flapping into the air, revealing a misty, sheer screen through which Harry's Army could see Lord Voldemort bound between the physical and spirit worlds.

Rising as one, the four began to pulse systematically. Ron and Harry with purple, Hermione and Ginny with white. As if they knew what was meant to be done all along, they chanted. Lord Voldemort was liberated by the Deceascengamot, but held in check between the living and spirit dominions of the Wizarding World by four souls bound by pure, untainted love.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle—"

The voice of the Boy-Who-Lived rang through both realms, sending shivers down the spines of all those that were not bound by the magic that he and his friends were—including Lord Voldemort.

"You have passed into the realm of the beyond, where you will be tried by the purest of Wizards."

Voldemort had the nerve to laugh.

"You still think you can defeat me, Potter?" he spat. "If the High Court of the dead can not, what makes you think you can?"

"I think not," Harry replied simply.

Voldemort raised one snakelike eyebrow.

"I _think_ not," Harry repeated, "I **know**."

Voldemort was obviously torn- he, for once, had no idea what was going on. He knew his wand was of no use in the spirit realm, so he could not understand how the Potter boy could possibly up hand him.

'_Could this be what he means?' _Voldemort wondered. _'Is this what was meant to be? I, Lord Voldemort, Heir of Slytherin, am to spend all eternity trapped in a room with Harry Potter and all the other foul wizards and witches of the world? If we can't kill one another… maybe it is that we are just doomed to limbo. Could it be true that Dumbledore was right—the Muggle-loving fool—when he said that there were some fates worse than death?'_

On the living side, the members of not only Harry's army stood in awe, the remaining jinxed Death Eaters knelt in silence, for they could hear every word that was being said on the other side of the veil.

As if the calm before the storm had suddenly passed, Voldemort suddenly issued a scream—Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny had begun. Pulsing so brightly that many shielded their eyes, but were unable to look away all together, the four levitating wizards began to chant.

_Two in the now,_

_And two in the beyond._

_This is how it shall be_

_For the world to go on._

_Bound by a force_

_That no one can break,_

_Finding a way, _

_For his life to take._

_Separate the signs_

_To end the war._

_Now are divided,_

_But together by far._

_Bound by a force _

_Not even evil can break-_

_LOVE conquers all,_

_Voldemort's life to take._

Reaching their hands to their chests, the omnipotent four channeled their magic from the marks that bound them. A love so pure radiated from them, it penetrated the very core of the evil one.

"_Altruis Lieben auf Conquerden_" Rang the voices of Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, and Harry's lifted over all.

While the others remained in place, Harry floated himself over to where Voldemort remained rigid, gasping from the force of their spell. Circling him, Harry whispered in his ear. Connected by the force of _Altruis Lieben_, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny alone heard the Boy-Who-Lived give his final words to Lord Voldemort.

"The power you never knew- the one that would have people die **willingly** for you. To sacrifice one's self to save another. The way so many people have for me. The way Ron and I have died, just to save the ones we love. None would ever do this for one like you, Tom.

"_To love and be loved is the ultimate power_- something you can never understand. Even your most faithful only did your bidding out of fear- where Dumbledore's followed by choice. Where MINE followed by choice.

"You never felt love, Tom, and so in turn you never felt true pain. Only when you give your heart to someone can you really experience pain- the one you bestow it to holds that power. If they love you in return, you need not fear pain. If they are taken from you- you feel true pain. This is the gift I bestow upon you- to feel love's pain that you have caused- to understand the hearts you broke in your quest for power.

"But that's something else you never could comprehend, isn't it, Tom?"

By now Voldemort's red eyes were squinted shut so as to keep the sweat and blood from dripping into them. Harry leaned in close, his breath tickling Voldemort's snake-like nostrils.

"You could never understand that to hold someone's heart was the ultimate power. You shut yourself away and in doing so you ruined the only chance you had to be happy.

And so, Tom Riddle, my gift to you: I give you the gift, and curse, of compassion. To feel the crushing pain that you have caused in your reign. The pain of every individual you have hurt and tortured, may they be alive or dead."

In his mind, Harry uttered an incantation. From all over both worlds, beams of golden light shot through the archway and into the chest of Lord Voldemort, making paths from the ones he had tortured only to burn themselves through his veins, across his chest, and into his blackened heart.

"Love conquers all, Tom. I gave my life to end yours. I gave it willingly to save the world. An act of selflessness- something neither you nor your followers could ever understand. I hold the heart of my wife, and my friends, in my hands, for ever and for always. To love someone with all your heart that you would give your life for them, like Ron and I have, and they would do the same for you.

"Now that, Tom, is the ultimate power. _Altruis Lieben auf Conquerden!_"

With the final words of the Boy-Who-Lived, Lord Voldemort shattered into a million blackened shards of soullessness and disappeared forever.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Epilogue What Lies Beyond Harry Potter: Beyond the Prophecy 

An Authorized Biography By: H.J. Granger

2006

Other works by H.J. Granger:

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone 2000

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 2001

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 2002

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 2003

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 2004

Harry Potter and the Power of the Prophecy 2005

_There was a boy who had the power to move mountains _

_And like a child he fought blindly for truth without a reason._

_Without a trace he disappeared into the veil and…_

_Ever since, I have been searching for that missing person._

_Harry James Potter_

_July 31st, 1980 – July 31st, 1997_

_(December 21st, 1998) _

Author's Notes:

So ends the seventh and final text of the truth about Harry Potter: his life, his love and his triumph over Lord Voldemort- and beyond the prophecy. For many years Harry and Ron told me they thought the one foolproof thing in their lives was my knowledge and me. I spent more hours than I can count analyzing and dissecting the Prophecy made by Sybill Trelawney, and yet, in the end- I was wrong.

Of all the things that I have learned throughout my years at Hogwarts (and believe me, as Head Girl I learned a lot), there have been a few specific things that have stuck out the most in my mind.

Don't always believe what you read in the news.

Not all stereotypes are worthy of acknowledgement.

Best friends are few and far between.

A good broom can make all the difference in a life-or-death situation.

Never underestimate the power of a good old-fashioned Muggle Duel.

Last, and most importantly…

6. I can, in fact, be wrong.

Over innumerable months of research the only logical explanation I could find as to unveil the "Power the Dark Lord knows not" was that of Love as an action. Perfect, unbridled, unconditional love shot through the force of a spell so as to end it all. Even still to this day, I can only hypothesize what really happened at the end of the final battle- this is my theory.

Harry walked through the veil, sacrificing himself, to save us all. An act of love so pure, that its power radiated through the entire Death Chamber the moment his cloak disappeared through the crack. For Harry loved Ginny and I, and the world, so much that he left us all behind, just so he could save us in the end. The bond we four had created the night of his and Ginny's wedding was more complex than we had ever imagined, and it was that which enabled us to carry out the 'Altruis Lieben' enchantment.

Our love made us strong enough for the spell's power. Only one wizard, not even one as strong as Harry, could have ever cast that enchantment and not have it backfire. Not even Harry's power combined with Ginny's could have produced more than a spark. But the power of the four of us together, along with our bond… Not even death could stop the love that fueled our bond to one another and so, in the end, it was death enabled us to save the world. Because in death, there were no physical limitations put on Ron and Harry, whereas Ginny and I spent nearly two months in St. Mungo's critical ward before we were able to even feed ourselves without falling asleep from exhaustion. Yes, Ron and Harry took the brunt of that spell, but they couldn't have done it without us, not even with the backing of the Deceascengamot.

I used to dictate my life by the old phrase "we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided." But since that last altercation with Lord Voldemort in the Department of Mysteries, I have come to live by a different saying. "Divided between heaven and hell, even separated over earth and sky, true love will always conquer."

From the memories I reviewed in Harry's Pensieve, I gathered that the book "Debello" (translated to mean 'Fight to the End') showed him that the only way to defeat Voldemort was to make him feel once again. The boy that was Tom Riddle had been so manipulated by greed and power that soon after he left Hogwarts he was entirely consumed by it. There was nothing left of what had once been a handsome Head Boy. He cared for no one and no thing on this earth other than himself. He was the epitome of selfishness, whereas our Harry, the Boy-Who-Lived, was the supremacy of selflessness.

Harry used every ounce of power he had to call upon all of those, alive and deceased, that had been affected by Lord Voldemort and push their pain, terror, and mourning back into their inflictor. In the end, it was one Ronald Bilius Weasley, and not myself, Hermione Jane Granger, that knew what would be the demise of one Tom Marvolo Riddle. In our fifth year at Hogwarts, when I explained to Harry and Ron why Cho Chang was so distraught and emotional all the time, Ron jokingly stated "No one could feel that much all at one time- they'd explode!" In all actuality, Ron was right. The combination of all the emotions from those that Lord Voldemort had tortured over the years being channeled through us and pushed into his heart and soul all at the same time literally caused him to explode from the lack of ability to handle it all.

After that, Ginny and I simply collapsed in an unconscious heap on the floor of the Death Chamber. I understand that Harry, on the other hand, remained with the Deceasengamot, as that was what happened to Sirius after he was pushed through the veil.

And this is why I say that my conclusion as to what happened is only a hypothetical solution, and pure speculation. Harry and Ginny did end up using the potion to postpone her pregnancy until it was completely certain that Harry was no longer living. If he truly died after he passed through the veil, Ginny would have become with child almost immediately afterward. This was not the case. Ginevra Molly Potter did not become pregnant until nearly a year and a half after the final battle- on the evening of what would have been her and Harry's second wedding anniversary (December 21st, 1998). This is also why there is an additional date on Harry's tombstone, added shortly after Ginny's pregnancy was definite. After having reviewed Harry's dream of Sirius passing through the veil that last Christmas we were all together, I came to my conclusion.

The Deceasengamot asked of Sirius Black one question.

"Do you acknowledge your death and accept your appointment into the High Court of the Deceascengamot?"

Sirius replied in the affirmative, and so, thus having acknowledged his death, he became exactly that- deceased. Harry, on the other hand, I assume declined. He refused to accept his death until the date of December 21st because he wanted to be sure that his wife would be able to finish school before having their children. I am not certain if Harry knew that he and Ginny had or would conceive twins, but sure enough, a little more than nine months later on September 22nd, 1999 (the first day of Autumn), Ginevra Potter gave birth to two healthy identical twin boys. Ginny and Harry had decided on one name for their child- Sirius Harry Potter if it were to be a boy, and Hermione Ginevra Potter (despite my protests) if it were to be a girl. Ginny was left to her own devices to decide the name of the other twin and swears that when she went to visit the veil on the day she knew she had conceived it whispered to her what was to be the other baby's name. Thus, Sirius Harry and Ronald Albus Potter were christened.

Ginny Potter currently lives in London with her two sons, Sirius and Ron. Ginny has made it clear to me (upon pain of Bat-Bogey hex) to express that it is not her desire to remarry, so will all potential suitors please "sod off". Ginny is currently employed as Head Manager to professional Quidditch team, the Chudley Cannons. The Cannons' teammates have reportedly been hexed a total of 1,327 times (at last count) for taking the twins on broomstick rides while the Bludgers are still at large.

Neville Longbottom is Godfather to both of Ginny and Harry's sons, and received an Order of Merlin (First Class), a Weasley War Wand Award, and a Pride of Potter (First Degree), for his contribution to the final battle and eventual destruction of Lord Voldemort. Neville is currently living in Nottingham with his wife, Susan Bones Longbottom, and their three children, Emma, Daniel and Rupert (born 2000, 2001 and 2004 respectively). Neville is the official attendant to the current Minister of Magic, Henning Loofenheimer, who was sworn in immediately after Cornelius Fudge's retirement on the 1st of August, 1997, the day after the final battle. Neville will be taking an oath into office when Minister Loofenheimer retires in 2010. Susan Longbottom is the current Herbology Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Ron and Sirius Potter are due to start at Hogwarts in September of 2011along with Emma Longbottom and my own daughter, Minerva Aurelia Malfoy (born April 17th, 2000). As for my and my husband's plans for future children, we are undecided at this point in time. In response to the numerous Howlers sent to our Muggle wedding reception in January of 1999, I would like to inform you that Draco and I are perfectly happy together so, no, I will not be filing for a Wizard's Withdrawal. And also, thank you very much for your consideration. The Howlers scared the wits out of my Muggle relatives. How very thoughtful of you all.

Yes, Harry Potter has gone on to be quite the legend- right up there with Merlin himself. In fact, walking the streets as of late I have heard many a Witch and Wizard begin substituting the phrase "Oh, Merlin!" or "Merlin's Beard!" for that of "Oh, Potter!" and "Potter's Scar!" I do recall one day I was in Diagon Alley and I heard, "By Potter, I don't believe it! I've just gotten a Harry Potter Chocolate Frog Collector's Card from before the edits were made! Potter's Scar- I can't believe it, I must have the luck of Gryffindor himself today!"

I do believe a certain shopkeeper thought I was rather mad when my reaction to that statement was to begin laughing so hard my own daughter had to pat me on the back and ask if I was all right. I can imagine the redness of Harry's face when Ron teases him about that one! Oh, how I hope they heard it!

The 31st of July has been officially recognized as a holiday by the Ministry of Magic and, much to what I am sure would be my best friend's dismay, it is called "Harry Potter Day". Harry's very own holiday is celebrated in the manner that Ginny and I were sure to be the way Harry would have wanted it (that is, if he were to have had no choice in the matter and was forced to have a holiday in his honor)- by giving presents to loved ones and spending time with those we cherish the most in our lives. That and causing a little mischief, should you happen to own an invisibility cloak…

Hermione Granger-Malfoy set down her quill, and re-read her notes on her last work. Gazing at Harry's Pensieve, which sat in its own special place on her desk, she couldn't help but smile.

'Well, Harry,' she thought, 'you wanted me to tell your story. It took me seven years to write it all, so I hope I did all right.'

She picked up her quill and tapped it on her chin. Something wasn't quite right- there seemed to be something missing. A knock on her office door disrupted her concentration, and she smiled to see her only daughter, who had just turned 6, poking her head through the crack.

"Hi, Mummy," she grinned, showing off the gap in her top row of teeth.

"Hi, sweetie. Come on in—where's Daddy?"

"He's making me a snack before bedtime."

"Is he now? I hope his snack doesn't consist of Chocolate Frogs, like it did last Friday night."

Minerva Malfoy grinned as she climbed into her mother's lap. "No, Mummy. But Daddy did say if I was good you would sign my Choco-Frog card with you on it."

Hermione laughed. "Did he now? I'll have to talk to him about that."

"Are you writing about Uncle Harry again, Mummy?"

"Yes, Min, I am. I'm almost done, and then we can have your snack together with Daddy before you go to bed."

As if on cue, Draco Malfoy walked through the door.

"How's it coming, Mya? I know my Seventh Year students are dying to get their new textbook this year," he added with a roguish grin.

Hermione smiled in return and set her daughter on the floor so she could kiss her husband on the cheek. "A book a year and they STILL think I should have written faster! But yes, I'm sure if History of Magic would have been stories about Dumbledore and his triumph over Grindelwald a lot more of us would have been able to stay awake."

Draco smiled and picked Minerva up from hugging his knees through his robes. "Yes, I suppose so. That, and I'm sure it wouldn't have hurt to have such a dashing wizard like me teaching us, instead of a barmy old ghost!"

"Oh, PLEASE, Draco!" snorted Hermione.

"Come on, Mya, you know it's true! Tell her, Minnie, tell Mummy what a handsome wizard your daddy is."

"Yes, Mummy. Daddy is the bestest looking wizard at Hogwarts." She grinned toothily at her father. "Do I get another Choco-Frog now, Daddy?"

"I see you've resorted to using bribery on our daughter? That's choice, Draco, really…"

"Now, now, Hermione, let's not be harsh!" Draco chastised, pretending to be offended.

Hermione laughed and sat back down to the last of her book. "There's something missing, Drae, but for the life of me I just can't figure out what it is. Will you take a look for me?"

Draco nodded and leaned over the desk to see his wife's handiwork. Seven years she had been writing these books detailing the life of her best friend- one book per year- and they had made more money than they had ever dreamed of off of them when Hogwarts decided to make them the official texts for History of Magic. Draco had nearly splinched himself Apparating home that night from Hogsmeade to tell his wife the good news. Draco Malfoy couldn't have been more excited to have his class include more than just bookwork. He had always been somewhat of a closet history buff (even more so than his wife), and so when Professor Binns had crossed over he was the natural choice for the job. One book for every year of school and all the spells that Harry and his friends used in each volume (with the exception of Altruis Lieben) were taught by the History of Magic teacher in order to make the class more 'hands-on' and current than the Goblin Rebellions of 407 B.C. Coming to the bottom of the parchment, Draco smiled to himself.

"Hand me a quill, will you, Mya?"

Hermione passed him the emerald Phoenix quill Ginny had given her from Sanguine, and Draco began to write with gusto. Drying the ink with a wave of his wand, he passed it to his wife for approval. Reading it through carefully, she smiled when she reached the bottom.

"It's perfect, Drae! Thank you, darling."

Their soft kiss was interrupted by an adorable six year old with curly blonde hair tugging on their robes.

"Mummy, Daddy, will you tell me a story tonight about Uncle Ron and Uncle Harry before sleep-time?"

"Sure, honey," they replied.

Together, the happy family adjourned to the kitchen for a bedtime snack and then to Minerva's bedroom to tuck her in and tell her a bedtime story. In Hermione's study, however, none other than the subject himself and his best mate were currently reviewing her final words about the life of Harry Potter…

Ron Weasley turned to grin at his best friend, whose face was currently rivaling the scarlet of his old Quidditch Robes.

"So, Harry- how do you feel about your name being used when people can't find anything else to say?"

"Oh, shut up, Ron."

"Aw, come on, Har! Don't even tell me you don't think it's funny- because it IS!"

"My poor kids! Poor Ginny! I bet they can't even walk the streets without being mobbed!"

Ron chortled, "Probably not, but you know Gin-Gin. She can handle herself. That, and she's got all of the Chudley Cannons to back her up if she needs 'em."

Harry grinned. "I know- I'm so happy she got that Management job. The team's doing so much better under her direction. That, and she got Oliver to keep for them, which was a milestone in itself."

"True," Ron agreed. "Well, what do you say we head back and have a game of chess?"

Harry groaned. "Honestly, Ron, I like playing chess with you, but I don't think I can take you dancing around the Deceasengamot Courtroom singing "I am the Chess Master" one more time… Albus has taken to humming it whenever he comes in the room now instead of "Weasley is Our King"! Honestly, you think you would have gotten over that BEFORE you died."

Ron shrugged, "I can't help it. It's just so nice to beat you at something."

Harry couldn't help but laugh. "All right then, back to the High Court. You're on, mate."

"Excellent!"

"Just no dancing this time…"

"All right, fine," Ron agreed. He grinned mischievously and added, "But seriously, Harry, I swear to Potter you're so cute when you blush!"

"RON!"

The two friends disappeared instantly, leaving the last page Draco and Hermione had penned together fluttering to the floor in their wake. As it settled, Hermione walked back into her study and smiled to herself. She couldn't explain it, but, if she had to she would swear in front of the Ministry of Magic that she could still feel when her two best friends had been around. Nodding happily, she reread the words her husband had quilled to close off her notes to the Saga and History of one of the greatest men she- and the world- had ever known…

The thing about Harry Potter that most people don't know is that he was truly more than what he seemed. More than a boy, more than a man, more, even, than the hero you've read about in these biographies. If there is one thing about Harry everyone should know, it was that Harry believed in second chances. He believed that everyone should have the chance to choose between good and evil, between what is right and what is easy.

Harry was often identified by the scar that grazed his forehead, or, for those that knew his parents, by his eyes that so resembled his mother's. For me, though, I recognized Harry for an entirely different reason. I recognized him for being more than just the Boy-Who-Lived. I knew him for the man he was—gracious, kind, loving, honest and fair—and not the man that the press made him out to be. Harry was a friend that any Witch, Wizard or Muggle would love to call their own. And he was my friend—the very best friend I could ask for—who gave his life to save my own, and didn't think twice about whether I deserved it or not.

Yes, to me, Harry James Potter will always be ever so much more than just a boy with a scar.

_The End_


	7. Chapter 7

**Beyond the Prophecy: an excerpt from the untold chapters following the downfall of Voldemort **

**Chapter ?: The Pains of Mrs. Potter**

"Sirius Harry and Ronald Albus Potter," yelled Ginevra Potter up the stairs, "if you two don't get down here RIGHT NOW we'll never make it to Diagon Alley in time to have lunch with the Longbottoms and the Malfoys!"

"Coming, Mum!" the twins cried, catapulting themselves over the stair railing and into the foyer.

"Well, it's about time!" Ginny cried, exasperatedly. "What were you doing up there?"

"Ron was trying to smarten himself up for Minnie, Mum!" teased Sirius mercilessly. "He fancies her!"

"I do NOT, Sirius, and you know it!" Ron shouted back, his ears burning bright red.

Ginny sighed. "Well, I don't care who fancies whom, you boys NEED to learn how to be ready on time! You'll be in detention your first day at Hogwarts if you're not careful," she warned as she fastened their traveling cloaks. "Now, let me look at you."

Ginny turned a hawk like eye upon her sons, looking for any signs of dirt they might have missed in their showers that morning.

Trainers were checked first (bright red with white stripes for Sirius and green with white for Ron)- _laces firmly tied_.

Next came trousers (brown corduroys for Ron and blue jeans for Sirius)- _starting to get a bit ratty at the hems_, Ginny noticed, _but nothing I can't fix once we get home._

Belts- _check_.

Shirts (red button down on Sirius and green polo on Ron)- _tucked in, very nice_.

Hands- _look clean from here_.

Hair (Ginny couldn't help but smile)- _mussed to perfection, just like their father's._

In fact, Sirius and Ron's hair was the first thing that many noticed about the renowned Potter twins, other than their famous parents. Their twelfth birthday wasn't for nearly a month and already random people from all over the world were sending birthday cards for the 'sons of the savior!' It was indeed true that they had inherited the messy black locks their father had been so famous for, but they also had random chunks of red, the same tones as their mother. Many journalists in the tabloids insisted that Ginny had painstakingly streaked it for them when, in fact, it was completely natural (even if in an unnatural sort of way) and had been that same strange way since their birth. It offset their eyes perfectly, Ginny felt. The random highlights of red made their green and honey brown-flecked eyes stand out. They had pale, eager faces with a light smattering of freckles across each nose and every witch that met them on the street couldn't help but comment on how much they looked like their father and mother. Ginny was amazed at how big her boys had gotten over the summer. She knew it wouldn't take long to gain the extra four inches it would take for them to match her at five foot two, but for now making sure they were appropriate for school shopping was the task at hand.

_So far, so—oh, bugger._

"Sirius, dear," Ginny sighed, "you've got dirt on your nose. Here, let Mummy get it for you."

"ARRGH!" cried Sirius, backing against the wall. "Mum! Gerroff! It's fine!"

"No, it's not!" she insisted, moistening her thumb with saliva so as to remove the offending dirt. "Come here, Siri, it will only take a minute!"

"NOOO!!!" Sirius howled. He was the typical eleven-year-old male, through and through, but unfortunately for him, Ginevra Potter was the typical mother of twins.

"Sirius Harry Potter, don't make me use my wand to get it off," she snapped, holding the long stick of wood out threateningly. "You know how your face stays red for hours if I have to."

Sirius sighed and lowered his hands from his face, pouting. "Fine. Make me look like a pretty little girl. I don't have to like it."

Ginny smiled as she kissed him on the cheek. "I know, baby, and you're right- you don't have to LIKE being clean, but you know how much it makes your old mum happy. So, please, just do it for me, all right?"

Sirius grumped and Ron saw his outlet. "Aw, Mum, you're not old!" he insisted, his face the picture of angelic innocence. "You look just as pretty as Aunty Gabrielle and she's a fashion model!"

Ginny laughed, her head tossing back and her hair shaking prettily down her shoulders. "Oh, Ron, you little flatterer. Those little girls at Hogwarts won't know what hit them."

"I'm a flattemmer, too, Mum!" Sirius insisted. "You're WAY prettier than Aunt Gabby!"

"All right," Ginny smiled, "if you insist. Now, into the floo and make sure you speak clearly. I don't want to have to search for you in Knockturn Alley again."

"Sure, mum!" cried the twins as they each grabbed a handful of floo powder from the jar on the mantel.

Sirius entered first, brushing his black and ginger-streaked hair out of his eyes. "The Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley!" he cried, disappearing with a whoosh.

"You next, Ronald, dear."

Ron jumped into the fireplace and closed his eyes as he called out his destination. Ginny looked into the grate to make sure he had gone before she stepped back into the kitchen.

"Well, here we go," she said softly with a sigh. "First year of Hogwarts, ready or not!"

A soft 'pop' later and she had Disapparated from the kitchen.

"Aunty Ginny!" cried a small voice. "You're here!"

Two small pairs of arms and legs launched themselves into Ginny's waist as she smiled down at her two adoptive nieces, Emma Longbottom and Minerva Malfoy.

"Hi, girls! Are you excited to buy your new school supplies?"

"You bet!" cried Emma. "Daddy bought me a new plant to keep on my nightstand at school- it SINGS, Aunt Ginny!"

"That's very nice, dear," Ginny smiled enthusiastically. "And what about you, Min?"

"Well, I don't have a plant, but Daddy said I could get an owl to carry my mail. We don't have a phoenix like you do."

"That's true," Ginny said sincerely. "An owl is a wonderful thing to have at school."

"Girls," chided Susan Longbottom, Neville's wife. "Let your Aunt sit down, she's traveled a long way."

Minerva and Emma obliged, but snickered as they sat down on Ginny's either side after Sirius and Ron pulled out her chair for her.

"That's Mum's little joke," explained Emma. "She acts like Apparition takes a lot of time or something."

Ginny giggled with them and soon the entire group was happily enjoying lunch while planning out their day's shopping.

As they walked down the sun-filled streets of Diagon Alley, Ginny couldn't help but feel at ease. She had her best friends surrounding her. Of course, the fact that Neville was now the Minister of Magic (sworn in the previous spring) and came with his own veritable swat team of body guards if necessary, and herself, Hermione and Draco were some of the most highly trained defense wizards in all of Britain didn't hurt either. No one dared mess with the Potters, even if they were just out on their own.

But the feeling didn't last. It didn't take long for Ginny to begin to have that old feeling- someone was watching them, and that someone wasn't necessarily friendly. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled uncomfortably as she nudged Hermione in the ribs.

"You feel it, too?" Hermione asked.

Ginny nodded and the adults began nonchalantly pushing their children to the center of the group as they made their way up to Flourish and Blott's. Just before the group entered, Ginny pulled her wand from her sleeve and pointed it directly at the rubbish bin outside the front door.

"All right, that's IT!" she cried. "I don't care WHO you are, but you've been following us for the last half hour. You had better come out from behind that bin if you know what's good for you!"

Slowly, two figures skulked out from the shadows, their hands in the air revealing their weapons of choice: a high-tech wizarding camera and a quick-quotes quill. Ginny sighed and dropped her wand.

"I take it you wanted an exclusive photo of three of the most famous wizarding families in Britain all out shopping for their children's first year of school?"

They nodded submissively.

"Opportunity was just too good to pass up, Ma'am," said the photographer, meekly. "What with you all together an' such."

"You know, all you had to do was ask. You didn't have to try and sneak a photo- I doubt you would have gotten much money for it anyway if half the people were hidden behind one another. That, and you would have wasted the entire day following us around trying to get a decent shot. Here- gather in a group, everyone. Ron, Sirius- you two, Minnie and Emma stand together in front with your things and we'll gather 'round."

The reported raised an eyebrow. "Really, Ma'am? You wouldn't mind?"

Ginny looked around to the other adults and smiled at the young witch. "No. It will take about three minutes and then we can ALL go about our business."

"You have no idea how much this means, Mrs. Potter! I'll be SURE to get my promotion. How can I ever thank you?"

Ginny grinned. "Tell you what- every time you need a photo, just pop out and ask and if we have a minute, we'll be more than happy to give you one. All the hiding in the shadows had us thinking you were a Voldemort supporter out to get us."

"No, Ma'am!" said the reporter with wide eyes, shaking her blonde curls. "And I will, Ma'am! Thank you, all of you!"

There was a chorus of 'no problems' and the group had a few shots taken- some of them all together and a few others of just the new students.

"Why don't you guys give this nice reporter a few quotes she can put in her article?" Ginny offered. The kids beamed and proceeded to talk the poor woman's ear off about how excited they were about Hogwarts and classes, and even the upcoming Quidditch finals.

Ginny grinned. "That ought to teach her," she said confidentially to Neville. "My boys will talk her ear off about it!"

Neville laughed. "Yeah. That was a really nice thing you did, Ginny, giving her an exclusive photo like that."

Ginny shrugged. "Not really. I'm hoping she'll spread the word and now instead of being stalked by reporters and having horrible tabloid shots posted, they'll just treat us all like normal people when they need a moment of our time and maybe we'll actually look like ourselves in the pictures they publish."

"Brilliant," agreed Draco. "She gets everything she wanted and more, and we don't have to worry about being stalked all day long. No one will be able to compete with her exclusive scoop and so they'll leave us alone."

"Actually," commented Susan, "as far as reporters go, she was rather nice. You should see some of the lot they send to Nev's public address meetings, the evil creatures! They twist around everything he says. She must be new- Skeeter hasn't had time to corrupt her yet."

"I bet you could get her name," Hermione offered. "Have her be your exclusive statement releaser to the press. She'll get a massive bonus and you can pretty much guarantee to never be published in a bad light again!"

"Wonderful!" cried Neville and he moved around the shop looking for the young blonde woman. He found her in the Defense Against the Dark Arts section as she carefully noted which books and subjects Emma and Minerva thought were going to be their favorites.

"How are you feeling, Gin?" asked Hermione Granger-Malfoy, leaning in to her best friend as they walked to their next shopping destination in the alley.

"Hmm? What about?"

"About the boys leaving for school and all. I imagine it must be quite hard for you- I know I'm having a hard enough time with Min leaving, and she's just one!"

"Oh, it's fine, really!" Ginny said earnestly. "They've been looking forward to it for so long and all… Besides, Susan and Draco will be right there on the teaching staff if they need a friendly adult to talk to."

Hermione quirked an eyebrow over Ginny's head to Susan on her other side, but both said nothing.

"You're taking it really well," said Susan admiringly. "I was nearly at my wits end when we finally sent Rupert of to his first Young Wizards play group. I felt like all my babies had left me."

"Nothing to it," said Ginny, grinning. "My mum sent seven of us off, so I don't see why two should be a problem. I mean, just think how much quieter and cleaner the house will be once the twins are gone! And how much more work I'll get done. It's going to be wonderful! I'll finally have a spare moment to myself without having to worry about what trouble they've gotten into—"

Once again, Susan and Hermione shared a significant look, and, once again, said nothing as Ginny continued to ramble about her newfound freedom that was just on the edge of the horizon.

"Mum!" called Ron, turning around from where he was walking slightly ahead with Emma, Sirius, Minerva, Dan, and Rupert. "Are we gonna get wands soon?"

"Yeah!" came a chorus of other excited voices.

The five adults shared a knowing look.

"I'm not sure…" began Neville. "Maybe we shouldn't send you to school after all."

"Too right," agreed Draco, his face wrought with sincerity. "I think they're a little young, don't you, Ginny?"

"Well… Sirius and Ron ARE almost twelve, but… well, boys do tend to mature later than girls. You could be right, Draco."

"I'm sure that Emma could use one more year to stay with her brothers," added Susan. "They really only just started getting along."

"Too true," said Hermione. "Dan is scheduled to start at Hogwarts next year, isn't he Neville? Maybe we could send them all together."

The children looked at one another in shock. How could their parents say such a thing? After they'd almost finished their shopping and been so good all day, too! They'd been waiting to go to Hogwarts for as long as they could remember and now, a mere three days away from their first trip on the Hogwarts Express, they were to be denied what had been their sole reason for living?

"Mum!" cried Sirius, aghast. "You wouldn't make us stay home! …Would you?"

"I don't know," began Ginny slowly. "It sounds like a better and better idea the more I think on it."

"But, Mum," insisted Ron. "What if we promise to write every week?"

"Yeah!" jumped in Minerva, cottoning on as she turned to Hermione. "Every week, Mum, and our grades will be tip-top! Dad will help us study!"

"And our dorms will be the neatest EVER!" chimed in Emma, tugging on Neville's hand.

"We'll never get detention, Mum, honestly!" said Sirius.

The four children stared at the adults, their faces sparkling with trepidation and their expressions doe-eyed.

"Pleeeeeeease?" they chimed.

The adults looked at one another, having entire conversations without speaking a word, as all adults do.

"Well…" began Neville, scratching his head.

But Hermione couldn't hold it in any longer- her lips cracked and her face broke out in a large grin.

"You couldn't possibly have believed us, could you?" she cried, laughing hysterically.

Ginny laughed with her. "Like we'd actually want you to stay home! With all the free time we'll have after you're gone? The Express can't leave soon enough!"

The adults laughed uproariously at their children's expenses, whom were all pouting fiercely at having been had.

"That wasn't very nice, Mum," said Emma seriously to Susan.

"Eh, well, your mother's not a very nice witch," said Neville, grinning at his wife.

"Neville!" cried Susan. "Have you started missing the couch already?"

Neville choked. "No! You know I hated it when Rupert accidentally jinxed it to follow me around for a week!"

"You might start sleeping on it if you don't watch yourself," she warned, though her twinkling eyes betrayed her.

"So are we going to get wands now, then, or will we be going elsewhere first?" asked Sirius, trying to hide his eagerness. Even though his mother had claimed to be joking, he wouldn't have put it past her to suddenly decide he wasn't mature enough to go to school.

"Yes, darling, we can go to Ollivander's. Run on ahead, if you insist, but mind you don't start until we get there, and don't you dare muss anything in that shop!"

After several shouts and cheers, the four older children disappeared in a cloud of dust as they ran to the wand maker's shop.

Several minutes later the adults, along with Dan and Rupert, joined the older children in the shop.

"You can go first, Minnie," said Ron regally, then when he caught Sirius' gagging sound he hastily added, "you know, 'cause you're a girl and all, and Mum likes it when we let girls go first."

"Thanks, Ron!" Minerva grinned, completely missing the side looks the twins were giving one another.

About twenty minutes later both Minerva and Emma held their brand new wands in their boxes.

"Willow and Unicorn," Emma breathed, "it's so pretty!"

"It is!" agreed Minerva. "I like mine, though- Evergreen and Dragon Heartstring!"

"Go on, boys," Ginny nudged gently, and Ron and Sirius carefully stepped forward.

"Ah, the young Potters… I had wondered when I'd be seeing you," said Mr. Ollivander.

Ron and Sirius waved what felt like every wand in the shop and were soon tiring of the experience, but Mr. Ollivander couldn't have been more pleased. He disappeared through the door that led into the back of his shop.

"A certain friend of yours stopped by a few weeks ago and gave me these," he called through the swinging door. "I couldn't have been sure right away, but after what I've just seen, maybe after all… Well, I think she thought you might like them."

Ron gazed questioningly at his mother, who shrugged and waved him gently forward to the counter.

"Ah, here we are!" smiled Mr. Ollivander as he came back through the door holding two boxes. "Well go on, boy, pick one!"

Sirius stepped eagerly forward now and reached for the box on the left, lifting the wand gently from its wrappings. He didn't know the core, but he could see that the wood it was made from was Holly- just like his dad's old wand that his mum kept in her sock drawer.

"Give it a wave, m'boy," pressed Ollivander, "don't be shy!"

The small boy shrugged and waved the wand in a circle around his head and green and gold sparks shot immediately from its tip.

"Wonderful!" cried Ollivander, clapping his hands. "Absolutely wonderful! And now the other Mr. Potter, go on."

Ron stepped towards the counter and carefully opened the remaining box and removed a Maple hewed wand (the same wood as his mum's), waved it in front of him, and grinned when a shower of ruby and silver sparks trailed an arc in front of his eyes.

"Lovely!" said Ollivander, reaching for both wands. "Shall I wrap them for you then, Mrs. Potter?"

"Yes, please," said Ginny. "We can't have any accidental magic on the way home, now, can we?"

So Mr. Ollivander wrapped their purchases and bowed them from the shop, but not before Ron and Sirius turned to him with questions in their eyes.

"What kind—" began Ron.

"Who came—"started Sirius.

Mr. Ollivander smiled down at them. "Well, I can't be entirely sure of her name, but she seemed to know you and had the loveliest green and gold plumage."

"Sanguine!" the boys cried together as Ginny winked at the shop owner over their heads.

"Well," whispered Hermione to Ginny and the other adults confidentially, "at least you don't have to worry about them dueling one another."

"Not with brother wands!" Ginny grinned.

"You didn't send Sanguine to Ollivander on purpose, did you, Ginny?" asked Susan, her eyes twinkling.

"Would I do that?" asked Ginny, feigning shocked innocence.

"YES!" cried Neville, Susan, Hermione, and Draco together.

The three days that remained before her babies would take their first of many trips on the Hogwarts Express felt as if they had passed before Ginny could say "Quidditch". Before she knew it, Sirius and Ron were hauling their trunks down the stairs and into the front foyer of Grimmauld Place, pulling their spring jackets on over their polo shirts and waiting by the door.

"Anxious, are we?" she asked, grinning.

"Can we go NOW, Mum?" whined Sirius.

"Yeah, Mum, please? We want to get a good seat on the train!" added Ron.

"Sure, if you really want," Ginny agreed, pulling on her coat. "We could walk and still get there an hour early."

"Excellent!" chimed the twins as they rolled their trunks down the walk.

The walk to King's Cross train station was uneventful, except for the lively chatter of the boys. They asked their mother (for what must have been the hundredth time) what Hogwarts was like and which house she thought fit them best. They traveled through the slightly crowded station and passed through the barrier onto platform 9 ¾.

"Wow!" breathed Ron to Sirius. "It's even better than we imagined it!"

"Come on, Ron," Sirius said, grabbing his twin's sleeve. "Let's go get a compartment!"

"Go on, boys," said Ginny as she made her way to a bench apart from the other early arrivals. "Make sure you come back to say goodbye to your old mum, though."

The twins made their way onto the train and found an empty compartment in the fourth car- "Don't want to be TOO close to the Prefects' carriage," said Ron. They hastily bullied their trunks into the luggage compartment and changed into their school robes to show them off to their mum. Looking at one another as if into a mirror, they nodded and made their way back to the platform.

"Well, don't you two look smart!" said Ginny, beaming with pride at her sons. "Your dad would be so proud!"

"Really, Mum?" asked Sirius.

"You think so?" added Ron, straightening his jumper.

"I know so," Ginny grinned. "Here, let me get a photo of us together. Aunt Hermione will take it. We'll take one every year like this and then you can see how much you've grown!"

"Cool!" agreed the twins and they sidled up on either side of their mum.

The picture was soon taken and the boys moved to help a very nervous looking Emma and a slightly tearful Minnie with their trunks. When they came back, it was nearly time to leave.

"Sirius! Ron!" Ginny called. "One last thing before you go!"

The boys walked over to her, afraid they were going to get a good scouring charm applied to their faces, but were pleasantly surprised to see two wrapped packages waiting for them in a somewhat secluded alcove on the platform.

"Here. I know your dad would want you to have these. They're for both of you to share, so you'll need to work together in order to maximize the benefits."

She handed Ron a flat package wrapped in bright green paper and Sirius a soft, lumpy one wrapped in a deep burgundy.

"Oh, Mum!" breathed Sirius, as he pulled away the wrapping. "Is this what I think it is?"

Ginny nodded. "Yup. It's your dad's invisibility cloak. His dad gave it to him and so I thought it was right for you both to have it."

"Oh, nice," humphed Ron. "Sirius gets and INVISIBILITY CLOAK and what do I get? An old piece of parchment."

Ginny laughed. "That's not just ANY old piece of parchment. Do you have your wand?"

Ron nodded and took his maple wand from his inside pocket.

"Tap it to the parchment and say 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.'" Ginny instructed.

Ron did so and his face paled in shock as the Marauders' Map appeared before his eyes.

"WOW, Mum! This is the best piece of old parchment EVER!"

Ginny laughed. "I thought you might think that. So, that there is a map of Hogwarts. It shows everyone in it and what they're doing at every minute of every hour of every day."

"So if we need to walk around the castle at night—" began Ron excitedly.

"We can use the cloak and the map to make sure we don't get caught!" Sirius finished, beaming at his brother.

"Brilliant!" they cried, giving each other a high five.

"Exactly," said Ginny. "And you had BETTER make sure if you're making mischief that you don't get caught because if I hear anything about it…"

The twins gulped. "Right, Mum!"

"Precisely. What I don't know—"

"Can't hurt us!" they finished.

"That's my boys!" Ginny beamed. "Now, whenever you're not using the map make sure you wipe it clean."

"Clean?" Ron asked.

"Right. Or anyone else - including teachers- can read it. So, to wipe it blank you tap your wand to it again and say 'Mischief managed!'"

Ron did so and his smile lit up his face when the map turned once again into a ratty piece of parchment.

"Thanks, Mum!" they chimed, giving her a hug and hiding their new presents inside their school robes.

"Please," Ginny begged, "please, please, PLEASE, do not let anyone know you have those! I know for a FACT that your Uncle Draco knows about the cloak and Professor Snape might even know about the map.

"Your Aunt Hermione would be furious if she knew I was encouraging you two after everything she had to put up with between your father and your Uncle Ron. So, for the love of all that is holy, be careful who you let find out about what I've given you."

"Ok, Mum."

"We promise!"

"Good. Now give me a hug and get your bums on that train before they leave without you!"

"Bye, Mum!" Sirius grinned, kissing her cheek. "I love you!"

"I love you, too, baby," Ginny smiled.

"Love you, Mum!" said Ron, kissing her other cheek. "We'll write to you tomorrow and let you know everything!"

"Yeah!" agreed Sirius. "About what houses we all got in, too!"

"I can't wait to read it! Let me know if you've forgotten anything, as well, and I'll send Sanguine along with it!"

The whistle on the train blew and the boys hugged their mother one last time before joining Emma and Minerva in their compartment. Ginny stepped over by Hermione and Neville to wave goodbye. Hermione was sobbing openly, and even Neville had a tear running down his cheek as the train pulled out of sight.

"I can't believe my baby is going to Hogwarts!" Hermione sobbed.

"My little girl is growing up so fast," Neville sighed, still waving at the tiny dot in the distance that was the Express.

"At least we've got Draco and Susan right there," Hermione offered as condolence. "That's got to be worth something. Aren't you terribly heartbroken, Gin?"

Ginny smiled and shook her head as she waved enthusistically. "Nah. I'm not worried in the slightest. They're combination Weasley-Potters, after all. They'll take care of each other, and Emma and Min, too. That's just how they are."

"Well," sighed Neville, "I'm off, then. I left Dan and Rupert with the sitter, but they cause enough trouble as it is. Shall we meet up next week to catch up?"

"Sure! We can have lunch at my place," Ginny offered.

"Excellent. That Dobby sure can cook! See you ladies next week, then!" Neville disappeared with a loud 'crack!'

"Are you going to be all right, 'Mione?" Ginny asked concernedly.

"Oh, I'm sure I will," Hermione sniffed. "I'm going to a book signing this weekend and then it's back to the drawing board from there."

"Ah," Ginny nodded. "Harry's biography set still a number one seller, then?"

"You'd better believe it." Hermione sighed. "Well, I guess I'd better get going. See you next week?"

"Of course. See you before then, if you need me."

"Thanks, Gin. You're a lifesaver. I don't know HOW you do it."

Ginny shrugged. "I guess it's just another mystery for you to solve."

Hermione laughed, hugged Ginny tightly and then Disapparated, leaving Ginny standing alone on the platform. She took one last look around her and with the softest of 'pops' she was gone.

By the time Ginny arrived home that night after visiting her mother and father at the Burrow and her brothers at their joke shop (for some small gifts she could send to her sons), it was well into the night. She jumped into the shower and washed away all the aches and pains from being on her feet the whole day before she changed into the softest, oldest pajamas she could find and crawled into bed. Tired as she was, he mind was traveling faster than the Hogwarts Express had earlier that afternoon. Ginny knew sleep would be as elusive as a snitch, so she got up, grabbed her dressing gown and softly closed the door of the master bedroom behind her.

With her lit wand held aloft, she traveled down the hallway and up the stairs to the twins' bedroom. She had made sure they had cleaned it before they left this morning, but she smoothed the blankets unnecessarily any way. She smiled at the empty indentations in their pillows where their stuffed owls normally kept watch. Sirius and Ron had thought about leaving them behind because they didn't want to be teased for having 'baby toys' at school, but when Ginny reminded them that their Uncle Ron had went through all seven years of Hogwarts with Albert, his stuffed teddy bear, Sniget and Mr. Hoots were placed snugly in their respective trunks.

Ginny grabbed their pillows, left the boys' room, and padded down the hall into the family room where all the pictures were. She smiled as she looked at the first picture taken of the boys. Colin Creevey had snapped it while she was holding the sleeping newborns in her arms the day they were born. She remembered how Sanguine had flashed into her room and lighted on their cradles, each in turn, and sang them lullabies. The magical opalescent phoenix tears fell from her eyes onto each baby's chest, leaving a small, tear-shaped mark that flashed silver, much like their mother's crescent moon that still remained from her binding spell more than ten years ago.

Ginny carefully removed the picture of herself holding the twins with Sanguine perched on her bedstead from the wall and made her way once again up the stairs, but this time she didn't go to her own master bedroom. She silently slipped her way up to the third floor and opened the door to Eternal Sunset. Pulling the comforter down, she placed the two pillows on either side of the bed, leaving just enough space for one in the middle- like how the twins used to come and snuggle either side of her every Saturday morning. Setting the photo on the nightstand next to her wand, Ginny sighed and crawled into bed, hugging the twins' pillows to her chest.

Her babies were gone. They had grown up and left for Hogwarts, just like she always knew they would.

"Oh, Harry," she whispered softly to the empty darkness around her, "you'd be so proud of them. They're so grown up! …I wish you could have seen them today."

It was then, and only then, that Ginevra Potter finally cried.


End file.
